The Democratic Party of Korea intensified pressure on the People Power Party to cooperate on the Special Act on US Investment as international conditions deteriorated following the US invasion of Iran. The Democrats signaled they would consider unilateral passage through the National Assembly speaker's authority if the opposition refuses to cooperate.
Floor Leader Han Byung-do held a press conference at the National Assembly on the 2nd, stating, "We face a global complex crisis including Middle East instability. International oil prices and exchange rates are fluctuating, creating a grave situation for energy supply and supply chains."
Han hinted at unilateral passage of the bill. "Securing safety for national security and the people's economy is more urgent than ever," he said. "The Special Act on US Investment, which Korea's lifeline depends on, remains stalled. If the People Power Party does not cooperate on processing this bill, the Democratic Party will take measures for normal National Assembly operations."
The special committee chairman for the bill is from the People Power Party. If the opposition does not cooperate on convening the committee, the Democrats indicated they would use the speaker's authority to put the bill to a vote and pass it with their majority.
"President Trump explicitly mentioned legislative delays in the Korean National Assembly and publicly announced raising auto tariffs from 15% to 25%," Han said. "Industry consensus is that if tariffs return to 25%, the burden on Hyundai Motor and others would exceed 10 trillion won."
He added, "The longer the legislative vacuum continues, the more companies cannot make investment plans, and losses are passed on to the national economy. The People Power Party must act on this bill."
Han also threatened to exclude the People Power Party from standing committee chairmanships in second-half negotiations. "I examined the status of standing committees chaired by the opposition," he said. "The Trade, Industry and Energy Committee has not convened once since December 2025. The Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee last met on February 8. The National Defense Committee has been closed for 100 days."
He continued, "The People Power Party is abusing standing committees as tools to block meetings. If they insist on a non-functioning National Assembly while holding national interests and people's livelihoods hostage, we will review the distribution of committee chairmanships from scratch."