Democratic Party fails to override presidential veto on four bills

The four bills vetoed by President Yoon Suk Yeol are put up for a re-vote at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Friday. [YONHAP]

The liberal Democratic Party (DP) failed to override President Yoon Suk Yeol's earlier vetoes against four controversial bills in a re-vote at the National Assembly on Friday.

Presidential vetoes can only be overridden if the vetoed bills garner support from two-thirds of lawmakers.

The proposed amendment to the Trade Union and Labor Relations Adjustment Act, widely referred to as the "yellow envelope bill," would have prevented companies from suing labor unions for damages incurred during legal strikes.

Of the 291 lawmakers present, 175 voted in favor of the bill, 115 voted against, and one vote was marked invalid.

The other three bills, which were intended to change the governance of public broadcasters KBS, MBC and EBS, also failed to win enough votes to override the president's veto.

Yoon vetoed the bills on Dec. 1, three weeks after they had been railroaded through the National Assembly by the DP, which holds 167 seats in the 298-seat legislature.

The bills have been opposed by the conservative People Power Party (PPP), whose floor leader Yun Jae-ok reiterated the party's opposition to the bills earlier on Friday.

The PPP holds 112 seats in the National Assembly.

BY MICHAEL LEE [lee.junhyuk@joongang.co.kr]