[Editorial] At Least Deal With Private School Law

The major reform bills that were before February's extraordinary session of the National Assembly have been left for the next ordinary session without ever having been properly debated. The bill regarding the inquiry into mysteries of recent Korean history saw no progress despite the fact that last year the ruling and opposition camps agreed – under mediation by the Assembly Speaker – to vote on it in February. There are more calls than ever before for a revision of the "Private School Law" as a result of recent discoveries of corruption, but the revision bill remains tabled in the legislation process.

Since both sides are ready to cover up the sources of conflict for the sake of reviving the economy, it seems the bill to abolish the National Security Law (NSL) and other reform legislation will not be seeing any progress. The reform bills are absolutely necessary in correcting what is wrong with our society and beginning a new era. They should have been handled a long time ago. This National Assembly will be remembered as a "half Assembly" for delaying the votes on these bills in the name of the "politics of the people's welfare." Given how the ruling and main opposition parties agreed on a bill about the "administrative city," it would seem the problem is that they fundamentally confined by their own political strategizing.

The reason there has not been much progress on reform legislation is because of a lack of political will on the part of the ruling Uri Party. It has to explain itself, and tell the country why it was so eager to pursue reform only to now be passive about it. Debate and decision by majority are key democratic principles. The main opposition Grand National Party's (GNP) avoidance of debate about the bills and blocking of even their introduction is almost a form of violence damaging the rules of democracy. The sad thing is that if this continues Korean politics will continue with the same old habits without developing any further.

Even more a problem is how corruption at private educational institutions has let to renewed claims about the need for Private School Law to be revised, and yet the bill that would reform that law has yet to be formally examined. People would like to see the law revised so that school operations are transparent so that many may look at school administration If the revisions are made, there will be at least something of a system in place that will keep watch over private schools and the potential for corruption and irregularities. Reform legislation must be dealt with in the extraordinary Assembly session, and the bill to reform the Private School Law must be dealt with if nothing else.

The Hankyoreh, 28 February 2005.

[Translations by Seoul Selection (PMS)]