정부조직법 개정안이 박근혜 정부 출범 21일만에 최종 타결됐다. 

여야 원내대표와 수석부대표 4인은 17일 국회에서 회동을 갖고 정부조직법 개정안에 최종 합의, 오는 20일 본회의에서 처리키로 했다. 막판 쟁점이었던 종합유선방송사업(SO) 소관 업무는 미래창조과학부로 이관하기로 했고 방송의 중립성 확보방안으로 국회 방송공정성특위를 설치키로 합의했다. 특위는 여야 동수로 구성되며 위원장은 민주당이 맡는다.

SO 등 뉴미디어 관련 사항은 미래창조과학부로 이관하지만 미래창조과학부 장관이 뉴미디어 관련 사업 등을 허가 또는 재허가 하는 경우와 관련한 법령 재개성 시에는 방송통신위원회의 사전 동의를 받아야 한다.

더불어 여야는 경제민주화와 관련, 금융소비자 보호 강화 필요성에 대해 공감대를 형성하고 금융소비자 보호원 신설 문제를 비롯한 전반적인 금융감독체계 개편과 관련해 정부에게 금년 상반기 중 계획서를 제출하도록 요구했다.

또한 여야는 이날 국회 운영과 관련, 4대강 사업에 대한 감사원 감사가 미진할 경우 국정조사를 실시하고 국정원 댓글 의혹에 대해 검찰 수사 후에 국정조사를 하기로 합의했다. 이외에도 ▷부동산 취득세 감면 연장 법안 3월 국회 처리 ▷이석기, 김재연 통합진보당 의원에 대한 자격심사안 3월 국회 내 발의 ▷상설특검제 및 특별감찰관제를 도입키로 했다. 인사청문제도도 개선키로 합의, 6월까지 인사청문회법을 개정키로 의견을 모았다. (코리아 헤럴드)

<관련 영문 기사>

Parties strike deal on government organization

Park gets green light to run state after 21 days in office

The ruling Saenuri Party and the Democratic United Party struck a deal over a Government Organization Act revision on Sunday after 47 days of negotiation deadlock and 21 days of administration stagnation. The parties plan to process the bill on Wednesday.

The two sides agreed to uphold most of the original plans by President Park Geun-hye but implement additional measures to address concerns raised by the opposition party, namely concerning the authority over new media outlets.

The agreement finally gave a boost to the delayed start of the Park administration, which will enter its full operation with 17 ministries and three lower-level ministries.

The negotiation delays were seen to have hurt both sides, with Park and the ruling party criticized for the top-down decision-making style, and the opposition for holding back state affairs.

Park is expected to hold a Cabinet meeting to confirm the new government as soon as the National Assembly formally approves the plans.

Upon the agreement, all broadcasting-related issues will be handed over the new Ministry of Future Planning and Science. However, the Science Ministry will require the agreement of the Korea Communications Commission when issuing or renewing licenses for system operators, satellite television service providers and other related businesses. Matters regarding broadcast news will, however, continue to be controlled by the KCC. 

As a measure to maintain integrity of the broadcast media, the parties agreed to establish a special parliamentary committee on fairness of broadcasts to run for six months and prepare any necessary revisions to relevant laws.

The DUP had resisted the transfer, saying that giving a government ministry with authority as sole decision maker over cable television operators or system operators will damage the integrity of broadcasts. Unlike ministries, the KCC’s leadership consists of a chairman, vice chair and three standing commissioners. SOs are companies that relay content made by program providers.

The parties also reached agreements on other fields, including enabling chiefs of the Small and Medium Business Administration, Public Procurement Service and the Board of Audit and Inspection to report cases of price fixing, a right currently only enjoyed by the fair trade commissioner.

To better protect financial consumers, the government will draw up plans within the first half of this year to reorganize the financial supervisory system such as by establishing a financial consumer protection agency.

The ruling and main opposition parties also agreed on the plans to establish a special counsel as a standing body, and for establishing the post of special inspector for cases involving irregularities of the president’s families and of high-ranking officials.

The agreement also calls for the strengthening the roles of the Agriculture Ministry, and to give both the Ministry of Education and the Science Ministry authority over matters concerning industry-academia cooperation.

Sunday’s inter-party talks also resulted in the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission becoming subordinate to the Prime Minister’s Office. The commission, however, will retain its independence, and the parliament and the administrative branch of the government will select an equal number of commission members. 

The agreement signed on Sunday was also accompanied by a list pertinent to the parliamentary operation.

The two parties specified that a parliamentary investigation into the case of a National Intelligence Service agent posting online comments about presidential candidates in the run up to the Dec. 19 election will be launched immediately after the public prosecutors’ investigation is completed.

The agent, identified by the surname Kim, allegedly posted negative comments about the then-presidential candidate Rep. Moon Jae-in for the DUP on various online communities in an attempt to influence public opinion in favor of Park.
 
In addition, it was agreed that they will work to launch a parliamentary investigation into the four-river restoration project if the result of that conducted by the Board of Audit and Inspection is deemed unsatisfactory.

The DUP and the Saenuri Party also agreed to revise the Personnel Hearing Act by June, and to put up Reps. Kim Jae-yeon and Lee Seok-ki of the Unified Progressive Party up for ethics committee review in March.

Kim and Lee are alleged to have engaged in illegal activities in becoming candidates for the party’s proportional representatives in last year’s general elections.

By Choi He-suk
(cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)