YONHAP NEWS

(LEAD) Opposition vows to continue Assembly boycott

   By Shin Hae-in
SEOUL, July 2 (Yonhap) -- Partisan confrontation appeared to be worsening here Wednesday, as the main opposition party vowed to continue its boycott of the parliament and to join a weekend anti-U.S. beef protest.

   Seoul's newly-launched legislature has been paralyzed for over a month since May 30, with opposition parties boycotting the legislative sessions in protest against the Lee Myung-bak government's decision to resume imports of a wide range of American beef products.

   In a bid to coax its rival back to the parliament, the ruling Grand National Party (GNP) has accepted its request to amend a local law on animal epidemics and to launch a parliamentary investigation into the April beef deal.

   But the liberal United Democratic Party (UDP) appears to have decided the timing isn't right, amid a renewed public outcry against U.S. beef and a stricter police crackdown on protesters that led to over 100 people being injured last week alone.

   The party said most of its members will join a Saturday demonstration in Seoul at the request of protest organizers.

   "A majority of lawmakers believe that the party should in principle return to the parliament, but the timing is wrong," said an unnamed UDP lawmaker. "Now is the time to continue fighting alongside the public."

   Ahead of the official resumption of U.S. beef imports, Seoul struck an additional agreement with Washington on June 21 for U.S. exporters to voluntarily ban shipments of beef from cattle older than 30 months. Mad cow disease is more commonly found in older cows.

   The main opposition, however, has been spurning the new safeguards as insufficient, demanding the ruling party's cooperation in revising the local animal disease prevention law. Seoul will be able to legally block imports of beef from older cattle under the revision, but it could trigger trade disputes with Washington as such a move goes against the April 18 bilateral accord.

   Claiming that the parliament should no longer stay a "headless body," the GNP requested to hold a plenary session on Friday to elect the new Assembly speaker. It vows to hold the session even if its rival does not participate.

   "Should the opposition party refuse to attend the July 4 session, the agreements made thus far will be nullified," the GNP's whip Hong Joon-pyo told reporters Wednesday, implying the party might not keep its promise to cooperate in revising the animal epidemics law.

   Hong added, "We are not, however, saying that we will convene the parliament by ourselves. We will continue discussions with the opposition party on the remaining procedures."

   The paralyzation of the legislature is also crippling the government, with a planned Cabinet reshuffle on hold for the third straight week.

   All Cabinet members tendered their resignations on June 10 amid widespread public outrage over the resumption of U.S. beef imports. There can be no confirmation hearings for the replacement of ministers while the Assembly is deadlocked.

   Some 20 critical bills on ratification of a Seoul-Washington free trade deal and on government subsidies to offset soaring oil prices also remain pending.

   Seoul's new legislature was required by law to convene by June 5, seven days after the start of its four-year term.

   South Korea's parliament has failed to convene in accordance with law on only one other occasion in history. In 1996, the opposition party boycotted the opening session for over a month amid an uproar over the ruling party's alleged irregularities in the general elections.

   hayney@yna.co.kr
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