Assembly speaker to invoke arbitration authority to break impasse

SEOUL, Dec. 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's National Assembly speaker said Monday he
will use his authority to arbitrate between rival parties to break an ongoing
legislative impasse, a move that may help advance a free trade pact with
Washington but trigger more anger from opposition parties.

The parliament has been paralyzed since the ruling Grand National Party (GNP)
unilaterally introduced the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement (FTA) to the
legislature last week, with the largest opposition party boycotting sessions and
occupying committee rooms.
An ugly brawl took place during the session, with some lawmakers hammering down
the door to stop the tabling of the controversial bill, only to be stopped by
security officials blasting fire extinguishers to break off the scuffling. The
opposition filed a constitutional petition to nullify the GNP's vote.
"I will impose compulsory arbitration on the parties if they fail to make peace
voluntarily," Assembly Speaker Kim Hyong-o said Monday. "This should not, and
shall not go on."
The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) said there was "little room for
peacemaking."
"The Assembly speaker must not get distracted by the government, the president
and his party," said its spokesman Choi Jae-sung. "There cannot be any
peacemaking until the ruling party makes an official apology, nullifies its
unilateral vote (on the FTA bill) and gives its word not to use its numerical
dominance in bypass opposition parties."
President Lee Myung-bak's GNP, controlling a comfortable majority of 172 seats in
the 299-member parliament, is determined to approve the bilateral deal before the
end of this year despite objections from local farmers and civic groups.
The conservative party believes the U.S. Congress -- split over pending free
trade deals with South Korea, Peru, Panama and Colombia -- will speed up
ratification following Seoul's lead. Its opponents call Lee's party "naive" and
want to take time and observe changes in Washington.
The GNP said it will keep trying to induce dialogue with the opposition but with
a deadline.
"We will seek dialogue until Christmas on Thursday, but that is all that we can
offer," said party leader Park Hee-tae. "More than 100 bills must be settled by
next week. Please, let's all come to our senses."
Ratification of the FTA deal with Washington, struck in June of last year, has
been among the thorniest issues dividing South Korea's polarized political
climate, with Democrat Barack Obama's election victory last month intensifying
the debate.
Obama has repeatedly stated his negative views on the deal with South Korea,
describing it as being flawed, especially with regard to the auto trade sector.
The bilateral deal is the single biggest trade pact between the two longtime
allies and is expected to boost two-way trade, which totaled US$79 billion in
2007, by as much as $20 billion in the coming years.
While business groups here want early ratification of the agreement, farmers are
demanding sufficient countermeasures for fear they will not be able to compete
with cheaper imported products.
hayney@yna.co.kr
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