Parliament to open one-month special session Monday

SEOUL, Jan. 31 (Yonhap) -- The National Assembly is scheduled to kick off its
month-long special session on Monday, with rival parties expected to clash on the
revision of an administrative city construction project and reform of the
judiciary, political watchers said Sunday.
Bipartisan conflict is expected to be particularly intense, as the ruling and
opposition parties will struggle to boost their public approval ratings ahead of
the local elections in early June, they said.
During the special parliamentary session, the ruling Grand National Party (GNP)
is expected to attempt to boost public backing of its bid to scrap a 2005 bill on
the construction of the Sejong administrative city in central South Korea, ahead
of its plans to submit a revision bill in March.
The government and the GNP have already declared a decision to pass a bill on
turning Sejong into a science and business hub through parliament.
Initiated by former President Roh Moo-hyun as an election campaign pledge in
2002, the Sejong City project called for the construction of an administrative
town in South Chungcheong Province, about 150 kilometers south of Seoul, to house
nine ministries and four government agencies.
The National Assembly passed a special bill on the construction of Sejong City in
2005, with the then opposition GNP voting for the bill in a "political gesture"
so as not to lose the support of the neutral Chungcheong provinces. The name
Sejong comes from the Joseon Dynasty king recognized as the inventor of the
Korean alphabet.
"In the upcoming special session, the ruling party will strive to persuade the
people through parliament to support the revision of the Sejong project," said
GNP floor leader Ahn Sang-soo.
But the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) vowed to mobilize all partisan
resources to foil the government's scheme to revise the Sejong City project.
"The Democratic Party will join forces with other opposition parties to submit a
motion on the dismissal of Prime Minister Chung Un-chan to thwart the
government's attempt to revise the Sejong City bill," DP floor leader Lee
Kang-rae said.
The GNP and DP are also expected to clash over how to reform the nation's
judiciary system, particularly following a number of what the ruling camp calls
controversial rulings by judges in politically sensitive cases in recent months.
ycm@yna.co.kr
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