Parliament to hold extra session for controversial bills, issues

SEOUL, Feb. 1 (Yonhap) -- Parliament is scheduled to open an extraordinary
session on Monday, with rival parties expected to lock horns again over
contentious bills and approvals of new Cabinet members.
The session follows the last one held in January, when parties agreed to defer
handling controversial bills -- including media deregulation bills and a free
trade deal with the U.S. -- following weeks of physical scuffles at the National
Assembly.
The confirmation hearing of the nation's new police chief-designate will also
surface as a thorny issue. Kim Seok-ki, the former Seoul police head, has been
under pressure to surrender his nomination after six people died two weeks ago in
a police raid on a building where squatters were protesting urban redevelopment.
"There is no reason for the parties to not reach a mutual agreement if all bills
are presented to their respective committees," Hong Joon-pyo, floor leader of the
Grand National Party (GNP), said.
Hong vowed to push for 15 major bills, including a financial sector reform bill,
measures to punish lawmakers who create violence in parliament, and the media
bill that would allow large firms and major newspapers to own television
networks.
The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) is expected to focus on blocking
GNP-proposed deregulation bills, approvals of the police chief-designate and spy
chief-designate Won Sei-hoon, the former minister of public administration and
security. The party is also attempting to open a parliamentary investigation into
the deadly fire that erupted during the police raid.
"It is very important to seek out those responsible for the tragic deaths of the
squatters and reprimand them," Won Hye-young, the DP's floor leader, said.
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