Ruling Party Decided to Stop the Passage of A Bill on Teachers` Retirement Age

While the Grand National Party (GNP) and the United Liberal Democrats (ULD) adhere to pass the revised bill on education government official law in the National Assembly, which seeks to extend the teachers` retirement age, the Millennium Democratic Party (MDP) plans to take measures to stop the passage of the bill by summoning the whole house committee, consisted of all the members of the National Assembly. Thus, the conflict between the ruling and opposition parties over this issue is worsening.

The MDP decided to summon the whole house committee in which all the members of the National Assembly attend prior to the plenary session on 29th, and to submit the amended bill which maintains the original retirement age, that is, 62 years old. The whole house committee was abolished in 1960 and was reintroduced in 2000. It is possible for the MDP to summon since the committee can be summoned if one fourth of the assemblypersons request.

In the high ranking party and government officials` policy mediation committee, the MDP agreed to take all the measures to stop the passage of the bill at the National Assembly, and to ask President to veto the bill if it is approved by the National Assembly`s plenary session.

Floor leader Lee Sang-Soo said, "If there are more people who oppose to the extension of teachers` retirement age in the public opinion poll, we will ask President to veto the bill."

Meanwhile, the GNP floor leader Lee Jae-Oh said at the party`s high official meeting, "The restoration of teachers` retirement age is our party`s consistent opinion and the promise to people. We do not plan to reconsider the passage of the bill at the National Assembly, even if some public opinion does not agree." The GNP plans to pass the bill at the National Assembly`s plenary session on 29th after the review by the legislation and judiciary committee on 26th.

According to the spokesperson Chung Jin-Suk, president of the ULD Kim Jong-Pil also reaffirmed to adhere to the bill that extends the retirement age to 63, saying that "wrong reform should be corrected."

jkmas@donga.com