Last mission of 20th Assembly

Lawmakers must vie fiercely to make people's livelihood better

The last regular session of the 20th National Assembly will open tomorrow amid a mixture of concerns and expectations. During the session, the annual parliamentary inspection of government offices will be conducted and the record 513 trillion won ($433 billion) government budget for next year will be subject to deliberation.

What lawmakers have done in the 20th Assembly is disappointing. The ruling and opposition parties have locked horns over thorny political issues, neglecting their legislative duties. The Assembly passed an amendment bill to the National Assembly Act in April to make it obligatory for standing committees to hold subcommittee meetings on legislative deliberation at least twice a month.

But the results after the revised law took effect in July have been woeful. Of the 17 standing committees, only four held such meetings twice or more, and 10 failed to hold even a single meeting. Both the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and the main opposition Liberty Korea Party are to blame for all of this fiasco. But they can ill afford to ignore their legislative duties, considering the public's growing antipathy against lawmakers.

What is needed first is to deal with bills aimed at beefing up the localization of key industrial materials and parts as Korea seeks to reduce its heavy dependence on Japan amid Tokyo's apparent economic retaliation over historical issues. More broadly, it will be essential to pass bills related to deregulation that have languished in the Assembly.

Yet the outlook is not bright. The rival parties are colliding head-on over President Moon Jaein's recent appointment of Cho Kuk, the former senior presidential secretary for civil affairs, who is struggling with numerous corruption allegations. A set of political and reform bills should also be intensely debated.

The people are making a simple demand: Make their livelihoods better through legislation. Each party needs to think twice before seeking headlong confrontation, and use their wisdom to serve the people better.