CONFLICT OF INTEREST PREVENTION ACT

[Anchor Lead]

A bill that prohibits public officials, including lawmakers, from seeking personal gain using information related to their jobs has been approved in parliament 8 years after it was first proposed. But rival parties are at odds over another issue, electing the chair of the National Assembly’s powerful Legislation and Judiciary Committee.

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Parliament has passed the so-called Conflict of Interest Prevention Act that has bearing on some 1.9 million public officials including lawmakers. The passage comes 8 years after the bill was first introduced.

[Soundbite] Sung Il-jong(PPP executive secretary for Nat'l Assembly Policy Committee) : "Public officials must request to avoid duties within 14 days of becoming aware of job-related personal interest."

But the process wasn’t entirely smooth. There were ups and downs up until the bill was tabled in the plenary session. A lawmaker’s secretary was confirmed with COVID-19 which delayed meetings on both the judiciary committee and plenary levels. The plenary convened Thursday evening after lawmakers who came in contact with the secretary tested negative to the virus. Around 50 bills in total were passed during the session including one that allows pregnant employees to use childcare leave even before delivery. Another bill that called for compensating small business owners hit by the pandemic has been less successful, unable to gain even a standing committee approval.

[Soundbite] Ryu Ho-jeong(Rep. Justice Party) : "The two major parties are in this together. They believe everyone would be fooled."

Meanwhile the ruling Democratic Party has named moderate lawmaker Park Kwang-on to head the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, instead of Rep. Jung Chung-rae who had been viewed as a likely candidate. The main opposition People Power Party, which has been demanding that its own party member take on the committee chair post, strongly protested the recent decision.

[Soundbite] Joo Ho-young(PPP acting chief and floor leader) : "If the ruling party banks on its 174-seat majority power in parliament and randomly selects the judiciary committee head without consulting the opposition, public condemnation will increase."

Due to the opposition's protest, the National Assembly speaker has postponed the election of the committee head to next month. The election will be the first test-bed of cooperative politics between the new leaderships of the two rival parties as the PPP will elect a new floor leader on Friday.