[WEEKLY FOCUS] July session ends in filibuster over contentious bills; Political showdown looms in August

South Korea's National Assembly kicked off its August extraordinary session this week amid intense political tensions, as the rival parties face off over key legislation, following the first filibuster in a year.

For more on the key legislation and what lies ahead throughout the August extraordinary session, we turn to our political correspondent Shin Ha-young.

Welcome Ha-young.

Thanks for having me.

So Ha-young, the July parliamentary session wrapped up with a series of filibusters. Could you first walk us through those?

Sure, during the July extraordinary session at the National Assembly, five contentious bills were at the center of heightened political tensions between the ruling and opposition parties.

These included three media reform bills aimed at changing how the heads of public broadcasters are appointed.

Among them, an amendment to the Broadcasting Act --which affects KBS --was the first to be introduced during Monday's plenary session.

The ruling Democratic Party argues this will reduce political interference and promote independence in public broadcasting.

Take a listen.

"To boost press freedom and independence, the bill makes CEO appointments more transparent and democratic."

But the main opposition People Power Party strongly disagrees, saying the change could instead shift control toward liberal-leaning civic groups, and further politicize media under the guise of reform.

The party responded by launching a filibuster at the session to stall the DP's legislative push.

Take a listen.

"How is this a public broadcaster for the people? Does appointing someone of your choice truly make it a broadcaster for the people?"

The 24-hour-long filibuster came to an end Tuesday afternoon after the DP passed a motion to close the debate.

The party then immediately pushed the bill through, with 178 lawmakers voting in favor and two against, out of 180 votes cast amid a boycott by the PPP.

The second reform bill, targeting another public broadcaster, MBC, was then introduced, prompting another filibuster by the PPP.

That, too, was cut short at midnight as the July extraordinary session ended after just seven hours.

Aside from the ones already mentioned, what are the remaining contentious bills?

Beyond the media reform bills, there are two others that lawmakers are divided on.

One of them is the so-called "Yellow Envelope Bill," which is essentially an amendment of labor union laws that limits employer action on striking union members.

Another is a proposed revision to the Commercial Act that aims to strengthen corporate governance transparency and protect minority shareholders’ rights, particularly within large corporations.

Both are being championed by the DP, while the PPP remains staunchly opposed.

Here's what they had to say on the "Yellow Envelope Bill."

"By adjusting the balance in labor-management relations, this will be the first step toward enabling dialogue at sites where subcontractors couldn’t even speak to their main contractors --paving the way for voluntary, horizontal cooperation."

"The Yellow Envelope Bill could encourage unlimited illegal strikes and has high potential to devastate industrial sites."

Then, Ha-young, will these bills come up again in the next extraordinary session? And what's the game plan for each side?

You're right. With the August extraordinary session now underway as of Wednesday, the DP is planning to push ahead with the remaining contentious bills.

As only one of the five contentious bills was put to a vote during the latest plenary session, the remaining two media reform bills, the Yellow Envelope Bill, and the revision to the Commercial Act are expected to be addressed this time.

A plenary session is scheduled for August 21st, and the PPP has already warned that it will launch filibusters against all remaining bills on the agenda if they are pushed forward without bipartisan agreement.

Meanwhile, the DP appears to be adopting what's being called a "salami-slicing" strategy --passing bills one by one to wear down resistance.

In short, such a cycle is likely to escalate the political standoff even further.

Is there any potential for bipartisan cooperation that we can expect throughout the August extraordinary session?

Well, the worsening tensions between the ruling and opposition parties are clear even outside the plenary session.

The DP's newly elected leader Jung Chung-rae said that he is unable to work with the PPP, citing the continued presence of lawmakers who support former President Yoon Suk Yeol.

The PPP urged the DP leader to respect the opposition as a partner in governance, saying it was the only way to serve the people.

Reflecting this divide, Jung met with leaders of four liberal opposition parties after his election but did not meet with representatives from the People Power Party or the Reform Party.

Given the current tensions, it may be too early to tell whether there's room for bipartisan cooperation --but it's definitely something to watch as the August extraordinary session unfolds.

Alright, thank you, Ha-young, for your wrap-up. Keep us posted on future developments.

Thank you.