Ruling, opposition parties agree to defer Yongsan park bill pending minister, mayor talks

The ruling and opposition parties agreed Thursday not to take up the Yongsan Park Special Act and the Urban Improvement Act at the day's plenary session of the National Assembly, opting instead to hold the bills until next week to reflect ongoing discussions between Land, Infrastructure and Transport Minister Kim Yun-deok and Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon.

Democratic Party floor management chief whip Cheon Jun-ho announced the decision after meeting with his People Power Party counterpart Kim Seung-su at the National Assembly Speaker's office Thursday.

"We reached a consensus to watch the discussions between the land minister and the Seoul mayor and process the Yongsan Park Special Act, the Urban Improvement Act and the Act on the Promotion of Urban Redevelopment next week, reflecting the outcome of those talks," Cheon said.

Asked about the Democratic Party's earlier plan to pass follow-up legislation to the Sept. 7 housing measures announced last year before the end of this month, Cheon said there would be one more plenary session on Aug. 26. "We will proceed through consultations between the ruling and opposition parties," he added.

The two sides agreed to put about 70 bills to a vote at Thursday's plenary session. They said they would continue discussions on which additional bills — both those carried over from the first half of the 22nd National Assembly without a vote and those submitted in the second half — to bring to the floor.

Cheon said National Assembly Speaker Jo Jeong-sik had previously expressed his intention to process about 80 bills, including those carried over from the first half into the second half and some that cleared the Legislation and Judiciary Committee in the second half, but that some bills had drawn amendment requests.

Kim said some bills passed during the second half of the Assembly while People Power Party members of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee had walked out. "Among the bills that passed in the first half, some cleared the committee without sufficient consultation between the ruling and opposition parties," he said. "We are in the process of discussing whether to draw up revised versions and submit them to the floor if necessary."