[비즈한국] Eight months into their terms, which began on May 30 of last year, members of the 22nd National Assembly have already proposed 7,155 legislative bills. This averages to nearly 900 bills per month. Considering that the preceding 21st National Assembly saw a total of 23,655 bills proposed over its entire four-year term, this current pace is approximately twice as high.
Although the number of proposed bills has surged, the rate at which they are processed in the National Assembly is painfully slow. In particular, various bills related to public livelihood and the economy—aimed at revitalizing an economy shadowed by the impeachment and detention of President Yoon Suk-yeol—are not being handled properly. Many bills that were jointly proposed or agreed upon by both ruling and opposition parties remain pending in the National Assembly, leading to criticism that lawmakers are too preoccupied with partisan strife in anticipation of the next presidential election to focus on economic recovery.
According to the National Assembly, a total of 7,663 legislative bills were proposed between the opening of the 22nd National Assembly and January 31. Of these, 351 were submitted by the government, and 157 were proposed by various standing committee chairs. In contrast, 7,155 bills were proposed by National Assembly members themselves. If they continue at this pace throughout their four-year term, the total is expected to reach approximately 43,000—nearly double the 23,655 bills seen in the 21st National Assembly, which previously held the record for the most member-proposed legislation.
This is a staggering increase, especially when considering that the 16th National Assembly (2000–2004), formed after democratization, saw only 1,651 member-proposed bills. The number grew to 5,728 in the 17th, surpassed the 10,000 mark with 11,191 in the 18th, and reached 15,444 in the 19th and 21,594 in the 20th.
Despite this surge in the 22nd National Assembly, the number of bills actually processed is negligible. Of the 7,155 proposed, only 771 have been passed or otherwise reflected in law—a processing rate of just 10.8%. Given that any bills not processed by the end of the four-year term are discarded upon the assembly's closure, nearly 90% of the currently proposed bills are destined to vanish. This is particularly concerning when compared to the 21st National Assembly, where 7,220 out of 23,655 member-proposed bills (30.5%) were enacted.
An even greater problem is that among the few bills actually processed, it is difficult to find those intended to help the public livelihood and the economy. A prime example of bills that both ruling and opposition parties have rushed to introduce but failed to pass is the "Semiconductor Industry Support Bill."
Since the opening of the 22nd National Assembly, ten such bills—with various titles including the Special Act on Strengthening Semiconductor Industry Competitiveness and Innovative Growth, the Special Act on Semiconductor Industry Development, and the Special Act on Strengthening and Protecting National Semiconductor Industry Competitiveness—have been proposed, yet not a single one has been passed. Despite there being no disagreement between parties and the growing importance of semiconductors amid intensifying AI competition, these bills remain stalled in the National Assembly.
Nine "Special Acts on Expanding National Infrastructure Power Grids" proposed by lawmakers remain pending, and the "Act on Funds for Strengthening Competitiveness of National High-tech Strategic Industries," proposed last June, has also yet to be processed. Similarly, 19 "Partial Amendments to the Act on the Promotion of the Development, Use, and Diffusion of New and Renewable Energy," aimed at resolving site regulations that hinder the expansion of renewable energy, remain stalled.
Four "Partial Amendments to the Act on Hydrogen Economy Promotion and Hydrogen Safety Management" aimed at supporting the hydrogen industry have been proposed since the start of the 22nd National Assembly, yet they remain stuck in their respective standing committees. Likewise, 24 "Partial Amendments to the Special Act on Decentralization and Balanced National Development," designed to prevent regional extinction, have been proposed, but even the work of consolidating these bills has yet to be done.
Even "Partial Amendments to the Restriction of Special Taxation Act," which both ruling and opposition parties agree on to provide tax benefits and encourage investments by companies—including small and medium-sized enterprises—in the semiconductor industry, have failed to pass the threshold of the standing committees. Despite a consensus to include AI and futuristic transportation in the scope of national strategic technologies via the same act, the relevant bills remain pending.