National Assembly to Discuss Forest Fire

On April 26, Park Sang-chun, the Millennium Democratic Party floor leader, Lee Boo-young, GNP floor leader, and Rep. Oh Jang-seop, the United Liberal Democrats's future floor leader announced that the Agriculture, Forestry, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Committee will hold a conference in the National Assembly on May 3 in order to discuss the forest fires that occured in the Kangwon area as well as the foot-and-mouth disease crisis.

Members of the National Assembly Agriculture, Forestry, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Committee who did not participate in the sixteenth general election, or failed to win, will be replaced by newly elected congressmen.

The floor leaders held negotiation aimed at relaxing requirements to form the floor's leading group. They also discussed the organization of the sixteenth National Assembly, including the election of the speaker of the National Assembly. The three parties were unable to reach an agreement.

Lee, the floor leader of the GNP, suggested an additional negotiation session excluding the ULD, stating that the "ULD should not participate in process of organizing the sixteenth National Assembly. The ULD failed to form a floor leading group in the sixteenth National Assembly session."

by Kim Jung-wook