Economic zone bill is approved

Recovering its courage in the face of labor opposition to the measure, the National Assembly approved yesterday the bills to set up special economic zones for foreign investors. In July, the government will designate the zones in areas near international ports and airports. Busan, Incheon and Gwangyang, South Jeolla province, are expected to be among the sites selected. The government will give tax breaks to foreign businesses locating there and allow foreigners to build schools and hospitals for their own use.

About 300 members of the Korea Confederation of Trade Unions and the Federation of Korean Trade Unions rallied yesterday in front of the Grand National Party compound in Yeouido in opposition to the measure. They threw eggs and fought with police who blocked them from entering the building.

"We are angry that the Assembly passed the evil law that would lower working conditions and harm the environment," said a statement issued by the federation. The umbrella group said it would launch a nationwide campaign to repeal the law. The confederation said it would stage nationwide rallies tomorrow.

The Assembly agreed to allow union representatives to participate in the deliberations to select locations for the zones before the legislative session began.

"Korea's future would be lost if it lost foreign investment because we did not pass the bills in time," said Yim Tae-hee of the GNP.

The lawmakers did not consider a range of bills related to political reform yesterday, although the GNP, the majority party in the Assembly, tried to push the passage of a bill strengthening anti-corruption measures. Such steps are part of the campaign pledges of the GNP presidential nominee, Lee Hoi-chang. GNP lawmakers in the judiciary committee drew up and passed an anti-corruption bill alone, as well as a measure to extend the life of the Presidential Truth Commission on Suspicious Deaths. Those bills were added to the plenary session agenda despite a walkout by MDP lawmakers during the committee session. Kim Tai-shik, the Assembly's deputy speaker and an MDP member, later refused to send the anti-corruption bill to the plenary.

by Rah Hyun-cheol, Ko Jung-ae