Pharmaceutical bill passed

With only one day left until the new medical law goes into effect, the National Assembly passed the medical law amendment bill on the afternoon of the 31st. In case opposition Grand National Party (GNP) lawmakers failed to attend the general meeting, the ruling Millennium Democratic Party (MDP) ordered its representatives to remain on call to pass the bill, and also asked the United Liberal Democrats (ULD) to be in attendance. This ensured MDP and ULD lawmakers, as well as minority groups and independent assemblymen (137 seats), would be on hand to process the legislation. ULD chairman Kim Jong Pil, who was on a trip to Japan, returned to Seoul to attend the general assembly.

The GNP held several tri-party talks to determine whether it should attend the general assembly. At the meeting it was decided that the MDP should nullify a National Assembly law amendment bill it recently railroaded to mitigate the requirements for a party to form a negotiating body. The opposition also called for the ruling party to pledge to prevent such an event from recurring and apologize for spreading rumors about GNP chairman Lee Hoi Chang and ULD chairman Kim.