[News Today] PARTIES LOCK HORNS OVER BILLS

[LEAD]
Right after the Chuseok holiday, the National Assembly has resumed its intense confrontations. Today, the opposition, including the Democratic Party, plans to tackle three key bills in a plenary session. Special counsel bills over allegations surrounding First Lady Kim Keon-hee and the Marine death report as well as a universal payout. The People Power Party is pushing back, arguing the session was set without prior consultation.

[REPORT]
The opposition camp plans to handle three controversial bills at a plenary session, which began at 2 p.m. on Thursday.

The bills are about launching independent counsel probes into allegations surrounding First Lady Kim Keon-hee and the Marine death report as well as a universal payout of 250,000 won or 188 U.S. dollars.

Kim Min-seok/ DP supreme council member
We will not get discouraged or impatient about the current situation, sticking to the principles.

The ruling People Power Party, which has been opposing the three bills, is expressing disapproval, saying that there were no prior discussions held about the parliamentary schedule.

The opposition railroaded the three bills at the parliamentary legislation and judiciary committee on September 11 with the goal of handling them at a plenary session the following day before the Chuseok holiday.

But as an alternative, National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik proposed holding the plenary session on September 19, asking the opposition parties to focus on launching a joint consultative body with the ruling party and doctors.

Park Jun-tae/ Floor spokesperson, PPP
We are discussing various measures regarding ways to respond to the DP's push to hold a plenary session unilaterally.

The Democratic Party plans to neutralize the filibuster using a right to end debates.

In this case, the bill on introducing an independent counsel for the Kim Keon-hee case will be put to a vote on Friday, the bill for the Marine death report on Saturday and the universal payout bill on Sunday.

If the bills are approved, the ruling party is expected to ask President Yoon Suk Yeol to exercise the veto power and demand another parliamentary review.

Before convening the plenary session, the National Assembly speaker will meet with the floor leaders of the rival parties to finalize the agenda for the session.