Parties are still conflicted as to whether to open the parliament’s August provisional session scheduled for this month, especially regarding the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement.

“The August session must be held to deal with urgent pending issues such as the recent flood damage and Hanjin Heavy Industries labor disputes,” said Rep. Hwang Woo-yea, floor leader of the ruling Grand National Party in an radio interview on Monday.

Hwang thus urged parties to call a provisional session and set up a date for a general meeting within the month.

His words came in response to the concerns of the main opposition Democratic Party, which has held back the general meeting rather than allow the ruling party to force the vote on the FTA without further renegotiation.

“The free trade bill is an international issue and should not be enforced by a specific party,” said Hwang.

“What the opposition camp needs to do at this point of time is to cooperate and open dialogue with us on the issue.”

The GNP may consider “other legitimate methods” to have the bill passed, should the DP continue to stymie its passage.

It may request jointly with the minority conservative Liberty Forward Party for the opening of a provisional session within the week and continue individual committee discussion even in the absence of DP members, according to officials.

The LFP, too, issued a statement on Monday, calling for the general assembly meeting.

Rep. Yoo Ki-june, the GNP staff member of the parliamentary foreign affairs committee, also made it clear that the bill is to pass the assembly this month.

“Considering the resulting economic benefits and the high level of public support, the Korea-U.S. FTA bill is to be ratified as soon as the parties reach a compromise,” he said.

The Democratic Party, on the other hand, claimed that the free trade bill must be put off until deals are reached on university tuition cuts and flood damage.

“Only when these prerequisites are satisfied will we cooperate in discussing this month’s parliamentary schedules,” said DP floor leader Rep. Kim Jin-pyo.

“The FTA bill may wait until after the U.S. Congress ratifies its share, but the tuition and flood budgets need immediate measures.”

Such conflicts led to speculations that the long-pending free trade bill may not pass the National Assembly this month, at least until parties reach a general agreement on tuitions.

Hwang, however, claimed that the two party floor leaders fundamentally agreed to hold the August session.

“I met with Rep. Kim Jin-pyo over the weekend and we agreed that the August session is necessary,” he said in the radio interview.

“We yet need to adjust our views on the agenda to be discussed.”

By Bae Hyun-jung (tellme@heraldcorp.com)