[Editorial] Sabotaging the Nat'l Assembly Over 'Private School Law'

The current extraordinary session of the National Assembly ends on May 2, but once again it is getting nowhere right as things come to a close, because the Grand National Party is employing a strategy of linking its revision to the earlier revision of the Private School Law with other major legislation. Subsequently, legislation waiting for action by standing committees and legislation review subcommittees aren't even being discussed, or they have been deliberated on but have yet to be voted on. On Tuesday sessions of the House Steering Committee and a subcommittee of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee were canceled because the GNP refused to attend, and because of that, even legislation the ruling and opposition parties already agreed on passing, like the Financial Industry Improvement Act and "Law School Act," have been stalled for days.

Deliberately preventing the passage of major legislation over the Private School Law is political sabotage and activity that thwarts affairs of state. Ultimately it is the people who suffer as a result of such behavior. Take the Law School Act as an example. If it fails to be passed in the current session there will be complications in the entrance process for the year 2008, including schools' ability to determine entrance quotas and the process of choosing which universities get to have law schools. The same goes for legislation related to the "comprehensive measures" on real estate.

There were times during the democracy fight against the dictatorships that opposition parties used the tactic of linking proposed legislation, but this is not the same kind of situation. The GNP is making a mistake if it thinks it is okay to sacrifice certain legislation for a single cause. It needs to cease its outdated "linking strategy" immediately.

Furthermore, the GNP's plan to render the Private School Law powerless by easing requirements for the nomination of trustees at private schools is not going to be supported by the majority of the public. It needs to stop trying to please certain private school operating foundations and conservative media and respect the wishes of the majority of parents, teachers, and others directly involved in education.

The Hankyoreh, 26 April 2006.

[Translations by Seoul Selection]