Defense reform bills fail to pass in parliament

Defense reform bills fail to pass in parliament

A Korean parliamentary committee dealing with national defense failed Friday to pass a set of reform bills aimed at bolstering military readiness against North Korean provocations, as the meeting lacked a quorum. Only six of the minimum nine lawmakers needed to reach a quorum attended the meeting of the National Defense Committee, making it unlikely the bills will pass in the outgoing National Assembly before its term ends next month. The committee has 17 members. The reform plans centered on making the military's command structure more efficient, and giving the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff more power to control the Army, Navy and Air Force. Reforming the military has been one of the government's top policy goals, especially since North Korea's two deadly attacks on the South in 2010. "(We) tried to pass urgent bills such as those related to defense reforms during our final meeting today, but it is regrettable that the meeting could not proceed smoothly due to the aftereffects of the April 11 parliamentary elections," said Rep. Won Yoo-chul of the ruling Saenuri Pary, who chairs the committee. The defense reform bills had been pending in parliament for 11 months mainly due to fierce opposition from opposition parties over their possible destabilizing effects. (Yonhap)