Welfare Committee's battle over 'introduction of MIF Jin'... “Is it a lower-order policy?” “It’s something we’ve already prepared” (comprehensive)

On the 27th, the ruling and opposition parties engaged in a battle during the comprehensive audit of the National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee over the disclosure of meeting minutes related to the decision to postpone national pension rebalancing (adjustment of asset proportion), non-adoption of witnesses, and introduction of 'Mifjin' (pregnancy termination drug).

People Power Party lawmaker Lee Man-hee, chairman of the Health and Welfare Committee, said to Health and Welfare Minister Jeong Eun-kyung, "Based on your career or experience, I don't think you would have taken the lead in deciding to postpone rebalancing. It appears that the decision was made at the government level, but there is a need to inform and reveal who led the decision through the meeting minutes."

Rep. Baek Jong-heon of the People Power Party, a member of the opposition party, also said, "We requested the adoption of former Blue House policy chief Kim Yong-beom as a witness to determine why the National Pension Service postponed rebalancing and what impact it had on the people's retirement funds, but the Democratic Party opposed the adoption."

Rep. Kim Tae-ho of the same party pointed out, "They are saying that the meeting minutes are investment secrets for various reasons, but I don't understand it," and added, "If we keep delaying it, the public will have no choice but to think that the decision itself was ultimately tailored to political taste."

In response, the ruling party objected, saying that according to the National Pension Act, the minutes of the steering committee meetings can be made public after four years, so they could not agree to their disclosure.

Rep. Nam In-soon of the Democratic Party of Korea protested, saying, "I think it breaks the flow of the meeting for the chairman to once again mention parts that have been sorted out to some extent in relation to the request for data. According to the law, the minutes of the meeting are to be made public after four years, and only if the ruling and opposition parties agree can the data be submitted to the National Assembly audit. However, because the ruling and opposition parties failed to reach an agreement, the data could not be submitted."

Rep. Seo Young-seok, secretary of the ruling party, said, "I am aware of the law that prohibits the disclosure of meeting minutes for four years, but it is regrettable that the political offensive was carried out from the beginning of the audit to the last comprehensive audit, preventing a smooth audit of government affairs from taking place."

The issue of introducing MIF Jin was also an issue.

Rep. Lee Man-hee of the People Power Party criticized Minister Jeong, saying, "I'm not saying we shouldn't introduce it, but we should do it carefully because it is a matter of people's lives and health." He added, "If President Lee Jae-myung, who is in the Blue House, throws in a word, the only option is to hastily follow along."

Then Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Soo-jin countered, saying, "You said the government will move at a single word from President Lee, but after proposing the bill, we have been asking the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to come up with measures for nearly two years. Lawmakers have consistently made requests, and the government has prepared them in response."

In response, Rep. Lee Dal-hee of the People Power Party raised his voice, saying, "Many lawmakers are raising their voices when we talk about the 'Hamyung Policy'. Wouldn't it be safer to change the Criminal Procedure Act and the Maternal and Child Health Act to sell drugs?" Rep. So Byeong-hoon of the Democratic Party responded by saying, "I am older than the President or the Prime Minister. I hope you will at least refrain from saying, 'It is Myungjae' and 'I will do as I am told.'"

However, the ruling and opposition parties unanimously criticized the police's search and seizure of the pediatric emergency medical center.

Rep. Kim Yoon of the Democratic Party asked, "According to the data received from the Gyeonggi Southern Police Agency, I heard that there are no internal guidelines related to search and seizure in the emergency room. In the case of Utah, USA, the National Police Agency and a university hospital collaborated to create guidelines. Going forward, will you create guidelines after sufficiently listening to the opinions of medical professionals in the field and explain the process in detail?"

Rep. Ji-ah Han of the People Power Party said, "The criminal justice system is changing for the first time in 80 years, and there are vacancies for the Gyeonggi Southern District Commissioner and the Commissioner General of the National Police Agency. I believe that the vacancy led to the search and seizure of the pediatric emergency medical center." She asked, "Have you ever asked medical professionals for advice on search and seizure or investigations?"

One lawmaker called for an apology from Ham Young-wook, head of the Gyeonggi Southern District Office's metropolitan investigation team, who appeared as a witness, and raised his voice, saying, "I interfered with the medical staff's treatment, treated them like criminals, and humiliated them."