[News Today] PARTIES LOCK HORNS OVER BILLS

[LEAD]
We turn to domestic politics. The National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee faced resistance from the ruling party as it introduced special counsel bills involving the first lady and the newly elected PPP leader Han Dong-hoon.
Today, the plenary session will deliberate the Marine Special Counsel Bill re-vote and the four contentious media laws. The ruling party intends to counter with a filibuster, anticipating a major showdown.


[REPORT]
On the day the People Power Party's new Chairman Han Dong-hoon took office, rival parties clashed at the parliamentary legislation and judiciary committee over bills to appoint special counsels who will look into allegations involving First Lady Kim Keon-hee and the ruling party leader.

Jeon Hyun-heui / Judiciary committee (DP)
Lacking justice and fairness, the prosecution is succumbing to power. A special counsel is the only answer to replace the prosecution.

Song Seog-jun/ Judiciary committee (PPP)
Han was elected yesterday. Do you think that the committee, which submitted a special counsel bill against the new party chief today, is normal?

Despite protest from the ruling party, the committee's Chairman Jung Chung-rae pushed to hold a vote and presented the two bills as issues to be reviewed at the parliamentary committee. It will later hold a hearing on the independent prosecutor bills.

However, the judiciary committee postponed voting on the so-called yellow envelop bill and a proposal to provide universal cash handouts of 250,000 won or some 180 U.S. dollars to all people, which were railroaded by the opposition party at other parliamentary panels.

Amid this situation, National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik said that he will hold a vote on four contentious media bills at a plenary session on Thursday. He added a re-vote on a special probe bill on the death of a Marine may take place on Thursday, as it was returned to parliament with President Yoon Suk Yeol's veto.

Woo Won-shik/ Nat'l Assembly Speaker
If there are no changes in the situation, I have to put the bills to the vote at the plenary session.

Leaderships of both the ruling and opposition parties are working to ensure that all of their lawmakers support official party stances in the possible re-vote. The PPP plans to stage a filibuster to block a parliamentary vote on the media bills.
Observers predict that in this case, it will take at least four or five days before the parliamentary plenary session ends.