[News Today] POLICY CONSULTATIVE BODY PLAN

[LEAD]
Since the 22nd National Assembly commenced in May, continuous political strife has plagued both ruling and opposition parties. Now, they've tentatively agreed to create a tripartite consultative body focused on public welfare legislation. Working-level negotiations to establish this body are expected to begin soon, sparking interest in whether it will facilitate the passage of key welfare bills.

[REPORT]
The Democratic Party has proposed to form a policy consultative body in response to the ruling party's call for approving public welfare bills first at the August extraordinary parliamentary session.

Park Chan-dae / Acting chair and Floor leader, DP
The ruling and opposition chair meeting is vital. We also need a standing policy consultative body involving the government and parliament.

The PPP responded by making another proposal to halt the ongoing political row and to set up a tripartite consultative body involving the ruling and opposition parties and the government.

Choo Kyung-ho / Floor leader, People Power Party
I propose a halt to the dispute at the August session. We must work together at the National Assembly.

At a meeting of their chief policymakers, the ruling and opposition parties agreed to first approve less divisive bills.

In detail, mentioned bills included the nursing bill that would institutionalize physician assistant nurses as a way to ease medical service disruptions and vacuums. There's also the Goo Ha-ra bill that would prevent negligent or abusive parents from inheriting their deceased child's property.

Jin Sung-joon / DP Policy Committee Chief
After reviewing 31 bills proposed by the PPP, we've found that there's quite a few deemed agreeable.

Kim Sang-hoon/ PPP Policy Committee Cheif
We'll review which bills we can pass together. We'll then hold a meeting on the results of the review.

However, there are remaining hurdles the rival parties need to overcome.

The government, the ruling party and the opposition party still differ on the repeal of the financial investment income tax, which is emerging as a new political hot potato on the heels of recent stock market fluctuations.

It is also highly likely that the already prolonged polticial strife will continue if the DP pushes ahead with the special counsels on two contentious issues, including the death of a Marine, while launching parliamentary probes into four cases, such as the oil and gas field development project in the East Sea.

The rival parties will hold working-level talks on the establishment of the proposed tripartite consultative body, which is assessed as the first attempt to break through the political stalemate since the opening of the 22nd National Assembly.