S Korea opposition's filibuster ends

During Saturday's session, the DP is also expected to introduce another reform bill

SEOUL The South Korea’s ruling Democratic Party has forcefully ended the main opposition People Power Party's filibuster designed to block a controversial prosecution reform bill, sending the bill to a plenary vote later this week.

As soon as a plenary National Assembly session opened on Wednesday, the PPP immediately launched the filibuster to block the passage of the legislation that would reduce and ultimately abolish the prosecution's investigative powers.

But the filibuster ended at midnight as the DP, which holds 171 out of 300 National Assembly seats, voted for an early end of the parliamentary session, one of the tactics that can be employed to break up a filibuster.

By law, a bill that was subject to filibuster will be automatically put to a vote three days after the delaying strategy ends. That means that a revision to the Prosecutors' Office Act, one of the two prosecution reform bills, will be put to a plenary vote on Saturday.

During Saturday's session, the DP is also expected to introduce another reform bill, a revision to the Criminal Procedure Act. Should the PPP launch another filibuster, the DP is expected to use the same tactic to break it up.

In that case, the bill will automatically be put to a plenary vote on Tuesday.

The DP plans to complete all legislative procedures for the legislation and promulgate it into law at the last Cabinet meeting of the outgoing Moon Jae-in administration on May 3.

Rep Kweon Seong-dong, floor leader of the PPP, started the opposition's filibuster, slamming the DP'S legislation push for more than two hours.

"The DP is overplaying its hand in the period of government transition because it is afraid of its corruption in the past five years, which was protected by the president's power, getting revealed to the people," Kweon said. "Why are they so afraid of the Yoon Suk-yeol government's prosecution?"

Three other lawmakers, including two from the ruling DP, spoke during the seven hours of filibuster.