Candidates in the People Power Party's Busan mayoral primary issued a wave of criticism after the "Busan Global Hub City Special Bill," which had been expected to be processed by the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee on the 30th, was not even placed on the agenda.
People Power Party candidate Joo Jin-woo wrote on his social media account, "The Busan Global Hub City Special Bill has once again been held back by the Democratic Party." He added, "They grant every possible special provision for the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integration Special Bill, yet feel free to neglect Busan — that is sheer arrogance."
Joo continued, "When I filed a complaint against lawmaker Jeon Jae-su for alleged public disclosure of false information related to Unification Church bribes, he immediately issued a statement saying he would file a counter-complaint." He pressed, "Why can't he say a single word against the Democratic Party's heavy-handedness in abandoning Busan's economy?"
"Wasn't he elected to the National Assembly on the votes of Busan citizens? If he remains silent on this too, he has no right to serve as a lawmaker," Joo said. "How dare he even mention running for Busan mayor after this?"
Busan Mayor Park Hyung-jun said, "The Busan Global Hub City Special Bill, the development legislation that Busan citizens have so desperately wished for, was not even placed on the Legislation and Judiciary Committee's agenda." He stated, "Blocking even the committee agenda reveals the true face of the Democratic Party of Korea, which has only exploited Busan for electoral purposes."
Park also said, "Using the deliberation period as a pretext to delay passage of the Busan Global Hub City Special Bill — a period they never respected when they themselves rammed through bad legislation — is once again pouring cold water on Busan citizens' aspirations and inflicting wounds on them."
"What lawmaker Jeon Jae-su has shown is nothing but political calculation that holds Busan hostage," Park added. "Stop making Busan citizens angry."
Kim Yong-min, the ruling party secretary serving as acting chair of the currently vacant Legislation and Judiciary Committee chairmanship, excluded the Busan Global Hub City Special Bill from the day's agenda, citing the deliberation period had not yet elapsed.
Cheon Jun-ho, senior deputy floor leader for the Democratic Party of Korea, explained, "Processing a bill whose deliberation period has not yet arrived requires a vote, and there were concerns about that." He added, "The intent was to process it after reaching consensus rather than forcing a vote."
Earlier, Mayor Park visited the National Assembly on the 23rd of this month to urge the bill's passage through the Public Administration and Security Committee's legislation subcommittee. The following day, lawmaker Jeon, a co-sponsor of the bill, also met with the Democratic Party leadership to request swift passage of the special bill.
The special bill passed the Public Administration and Security Committee's legislation subcommittee on the 24th. Two days later, on the 26th — one year and 10 months after its introduction — it was approved at the full committee session and forwarded to the Legislation and Judiciary Committee.