July 9 Legislative Report: Transition to Education and Youth Welfare Legislation; Representative Proposals for School Violence Prevention Act and Expansion of Child Meal Card

Turning Point in Education and Youth Welfare Legislation

In September 2024, Representative Kim (People Power Party) of the National Assembly’s Education Committee took the lead in proposing a partial amendment to the 'Act on the Prevention of and Countermeasures Against Violence in Schools,' aiming to bolster safety nets within educational settings. Subsequently, during the first interpellation session at the plenary meeting of the 22nd National Assembly, he emphasized the necessity of expanding the list of facilities where child meal cards can be used. This initiative goes beyond the mere introduction of new systems; it is an effort to broaden the scope of policies so that tangible benefits reach the youth and vulnerable classes. By consecutively pursuing legislative activities related to youth policies, such as the proposal of a basic income bill for university students, the administration is clarifying its stance on the expansion of welfare.

The bills proposed by Representative Kim, passing through the Budget and Accounts Special Committee and the Education Committee, suggest a direction where national finances should be directly invested in fostering youth independence and resolving educational disparities. This aligns with the legislative movement of Representative Kim Cheol-geun (Reform Party), who led the expansion of the scope of review by school meal operation committees through an amendment to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The scope of free education and meal support is gradually widening. These continuous legislative trends are interpreted as the National Assembly’s determination to strengthen welfare policies directly linked to education in an era of low birth rates and an aging society.

Diversification of Education Legislation and Fiscal Discipline

As Representative Lee Jeong-man (People Power Party), the floor leader of the Education Committee, leads the charge in increasing the budget for the expansion of free school meals for elementary students and the transition to direct operation, the efficiency of fiscal execution has also come under scrutiny. Participating in the Alternative Legislation Committee, Representative Lee actively participated in discussions to amend and supplement the representative bills of opposition parties, including the Rebuilding Korea Party, contributing to enhancing the realism of education-related budget formulation. Representative Kim Cheol-geun, who also jointly proposed an amendment to the Special Act on Education containing the establishment of regulations for setting university tuition fees, sharply questioned the Ministry of Education’s budget execution status, urging transparency in fiscal spending. There is a growing consensus that in the education sector, where massive national budgets are invested, waste must be prevented and resources concentrated on core policies.

In this process, the partial amendment to the 'Act on Prevention and Compensation of School Safety Accidents' led by Rep. Kim Hyun-cheol of the Democratic Party of Korea, aimed at establishing the 'School Safety Foundation,' is evaluated as a key driver for enhancing the stability of educational infrastructure. By establishing a systematic and prompt compensation system at the national level in the event of large-scale safety accidents, it is expected to significantly alleviate parental anxiety and reduce the administrative burden on schools. The outcome of the plenary vote held earlier also fully reflects this legislative atmosphere. During the alternative vote on the partial amendment to the Korea Rural Community Corporation and Agricultural Management Fund Act last June, 10 PPP members, including Park Soo-young, Lee Chul-kyu, and Seong Il-jong, broke party ranks to vote in favor. On the same day, during the vote on the amendment to the Framework Act on Resource Circulation, eight members, including Kim Seung-soo and Kim Eun-hye, voted against it. These moments highlight the strong influence of a pragmatic approach within the party, aimed at preventing excessive budgets from concentrating on specific regions or industries and strictly maintaining fiscal health.

Synergy between Telecommunications and Patriots’ Welfare Legislation and Livelihood Economic Recovery

The legislative trends of the National Assembly are expanding beyond the education and youth sectors to the overall livelihood economy. The amendment to the Telecommunications Business Act, proposed by Representative Cho Seung-yeon (Democratic Party of Korea), mandates resellers of telecommunications services to register as telemarketers. It embodies a clear policy goal of rectifying the imbalances in the telecommunications market, enhancing the competitiveness of Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs), and lowering the communication cost burden on the public. Furthermore, through a partial amendment to the Act on Support for Patriots and Persons of Distinguished Service, he is pushing for legislation that expands the scope of support for national patriots and modernizes benefit levels, thereby strengthening state-level inclusivity. Rep. Cho’s experience as chairman of the Special Committee on Urgent Measures for People’s Livelihoods and Economic Situation is expected to serve as a foundation for these bills to generate substantive economic ripple effects.

These linked legislative efforts are projected to contribute to improving the constitution of the national fiscal system and industrial ecosystem in the long run. Direct cash support for the youth and policies to lower communication fees act as powerful tools that can stimulate consumption and breathe vitality into a sluggish domestic economy. Similarly, budgets aimed at resolving educational disparities and building school safety nets are expected to serve as investments leading to long-term human capital development, securing sustainable growth engines for the national economy. Aligning with macro-economic security discussions such as strengthening the cyber resilience of the global financial supply chain, as emphasized by Rep. Lee Jun-seok of the Reform Party, the National Assembly is expected to complete a balanced legislative design that simultaneously pursues industrial deregulation and youth welfare.

Institutional Settlement and Future Policy Outlook

Ultimately, the current legislative flow of the National Assembly is converging toward resolving blind spots in key policies and maximizing fiscal efficiency. While the basic income for university students and the expansion of child meal cards may incur short-term fiscal burdens, they are interpreted as structural investments that create long-term economic effects by simultaneously improving educational conditions and the consumption environment for the youth. The fact that both the ruling and opposition parties are thoroughly reviewing bill deliberations and budget execution realities, centering on the Education Committee and the Budget and Accounts Special Committee, supports this view. As discussions on amending and supplementing the opposition parties' representative bills become more active, the atmosphere is placing more weight on deriving practical results than on political confrontation.

Moving forward, livelihood bills with high public visibility, such as school violence prevention, youth welfare, and reducing telecommunication costs, are expected to gain speed. The instances of voting against party lines during the plenary session are not merely signs of internal party division but are serving as rational braking mechanisms that assess the efficiency of budget execution and the effectiveness of policies. The National Assembly’s movement, which clearly recognizes the limits of national finances and seeks optimal legislative outcomes commensurate with costs, will contribute to enhancing the competitiveness of the industrial ecosystem in the future. As the expansion of inclusive welfare and adherence to systematic fiscal discipline align, the essential institutional foundation for the Korean economy and educational infrastructure to take a leap forward is expected to be established.