Welfare Committee Meeting on Introducing Mifepristone Descends Into Dispute Over Whether It Was Ordered by the President
The ruling and opposition parties clashed on the 27th during a comprehensive parliamentary audit at the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee over the disclosure of meeting minutes on the decision to postpone the rebalancing of the national pension (adjusting the allocation of pension assets) and the circumstances surrounding the introduction of mifepristone, a drug that terminates pregnancy.
Rep. Lee Man-hee of the People Power Party, who chairs the committee, told Health and Welfare Minister Jung Eun-kyeong, "Judging by your career and experience, I don't think you would have made the decision to postpone the rebalancing on your own initiative," and demanded the disclosure of the meeting minutes. Rep. Baek Jong-heon of the same party, the opposition's committee secretary, demanded that former presidential Policy Office Chief Kim Yong-beom be summoned as a witness, but noted that the Democratic Party had opposed it, saying, "Reflect on whether that decision is something you can stand before the people with pride about."
In response, the Democratic Party countered with legal grounds. Rep. Nam In-soon pointed out that under the National Pension Act, the minutes of the Fund Management Committee meetings can only be released four years later, saying, "Both parties must agree before documents can be submitted for the audit, and the submission was not made because no agreement was reached." Rep. Seo Young-seok of the ruling party's committee secretary position also retorted, "I regret that they knew the law yet kept up their political offensive, preventing a smooth audit."
Over the introduction of mifepristone, a dispute arose over whether it was a "directive-driven policy." Chairman Lee Man-hee criticized, "We are not saying it should not be introduced, but since it concerns the lives and health of the people, it should be approached carefully. Whenever President Lee Jae-myung says a single word, isn't the government just scrambling to follow along?" Rep. Lee Dal-hee of the same party also pointed out, "Shouldn't the Criminal Procedure Act and the Maternal and Child Health Act be amended before the drug is sold to ensure safety?"
The Democratic Party pushed back, saying the government's preparation was the result of prior review. Rep. Lee Soo-jin countered, "After I proposed the bill, I spent nearly two years asking the Health Ministry and the Food and Drug Ministry to prepare countermeasures. Lawmakers consistently made these requests, and the government prepared in response." Rep. So Byung-hoon added, "At the very least, I hope you will refrain from saying things like 'it was an order' or 'they are just doing as they're told.'"
However, the ruling and opposition parties united in criticism over the police raid on a pediatric emergency medical center, saying the police had failed to sufficiently seek the opinions of medical professionals. Rep. Kim Yoon of the Democratic Party pointed out that internal guidelines related to the raid were absent from Gyeonggi Southern Provincial Police Agency documents, asking whether the police would create guidelines by consulting medical professionals. Rep. Han Ji-a of the People Power Party urged an apology from Ham Young-wook, head of the Gyeonggi Southern Agency's regional investigation unit, who appeared as a witness, saying, "They obstructed medical staff from treating patients, treated them like criminals, and inflicted humiliation."
