Assembly kicks off 100-day regular session

The National Assembly on Tuesday kicked off its 100-day regular session, which will include the 2027 national budget review and a parliamentary audit of the government.

National Assembly Speaker Rep. Cho Jeong-sik said in his remarks opening the regular session Tuesday that the core task would be to tackle uneven economic growth.

He also called on the parliament to buoy strategic technologies such as artificial intelligence, find ways to cope with climate change and promote peace on the Korean Peninsula, in addition to asking lawmakers to facilitate marriage and childbirth and make housing more accessible for young people.

Following the opening ceremony Tuesday, the Lee Jae Myung administration's 821 trillion won ($597.9 billion) budget proposal will be submitted to the National Assembly Thursday. The deadline for the budget bill to pass the National Assembly is Dec. 2, a week before the regular session ends.

Leaders of South Korea's rival parties ― the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and the main opposition People Power Party ― will take turns delivering speeches on Sept. 7-8.

Interpellation sessions will take place from Sept. 9-14. Lawmakers are slated to question government officials on national politics starting on the first day.

This will be followed by a session covering foreign policy, unification and national security on Sept. 10, one on Sept. 11 addressing the national economy, and one on Sept. 14 touching on education, social affairs and culture.

Parliamentary confirmation hearings for six Cabinet minister nominees, a Supreme Court justice nominee and an independent inspector general nominee are expected to be held before the Chuseok holiday, which starts Sept. 24, according to Rep. Kim Sung-hoi of the Democratic Party of Korea.

The parliamentary audit of the government, an annual inspection where lawmakers review documents and question public officials, is scheduled for three weeks from Oct. 6-27.

To speed up the legislative process for noncontentious bills and help lawmakers narrow differences over contentious bills, the rival parties on Tuesday launched a bipartisan dialogue led by policy chiefs of the party, Rep. Kwon Chil-seung of the Democratic Party and Rep. Lim Lee-ja of the People Power Party.