President Park Geun-hye on Monday called in the ruling Saenuri Party leadership to Cheong Wa Dae and urged them to speed up the legislation of pending bills on economy, labor reform and counterterrorism, calling them crucial to revitalizing the economy and protecting the people.

“How will (you) face the people if you fail (to pass the pending bills) when you head into the general elections next year?” Park told Saenuri chairman Rep. Kim Moo-sung and floor leader Rep. Won Yoo-cheol.

“It is a make-or-break moment for us. I sincerely hope that the 19th National Assembly will finish its job and serve as a bulwark the nation’s economy,” she said. 

The unscheduled meeting came as the bills remained on hold at the National Assembly, which had been working on the 2016 budget and the redrawing of electorate maps for next year’s parliamentary elections. It was also one of Park’s first official activities upon returning from her European tour last week.

With the regular Assembly session set to end Wednesday, there is widespread speculation that the bills could be put on the back burner next year, when the current parliamentary term is set to end and the new Assembly will be elected on April 13.

The meeting with the Saenuri leadership follows the last gathering on Oct. 22, which included the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy leadership. The ruling party commands a parliamentary majority with 157 seats, while the main opposition party, the New Politics Alliance for Democracy, has 127 seats.

“Money does not grow on trees. The important thing is to focus on what we can do. If we start from there, the economy will bounce back,” said Park, highlighting the need to pass the service industry development bill that she said would create 700,000 jobs.

The bill was first submitted by the government in 2012 to ease regulations for various service sectors, with the Ministry of Strategy and Finance overseeing the efforts to prop up various fields including medical businesses.

The opposition claims the bills will pave the way for privatization of the medical field.

The parties are also at odds over a special corporate restructuring reform bill that the government says could help companies in overcapacity sectors to implement preemptive reorganization.

At present, such measures can only be taken if a company is under court receivership or forced to do so to stay afloat. Opponents say the measures could be abused by the conglomerates, which they say should be excluded from getting tax or administrative and financial assistance.

Park also urged the parties to pass the five labor reform bills aimed to solve the aggravating youth unemployment by year-end, ahead of the anticipated extension of the country’s retirement age to 60 from the current 55 next year.

Labor, management and the government produced a landmark deal three months ago to ease labor restrictions. The deal would allow companies to dismiss workers who are either negligent or underperforming.

Park also demanded the party pass counterterrorism bills, highlighting that South Korea is not safe from terrorism. She cited the recent arrest of an Indonesian citizen with a forged passport who is suspected of associating with a terrorist group affiliated with al-Qaida.

“If the international community finds out that South Korea do not have basic laws that prevent terrorism and that it has failed the pass the bill for 14 years, don’t you think it would make South Korea an easy target for terrorists?” said Park.

Counterterrorism bills have gained fresh momentum in South Korea following the deadly attacks in Paris that killed 130 people last month. The NPAD is concerned that the bills could give more authority to the National Intelligence Service, South Korea’s top spy agency.

Earlier in the day, Rep. Kim Moo-sung pressed the NPAD to cooperate, saying at a party meeting, “NPAD chairman Rep. Moon Jae-in often says his party strives to become a competent economic party. An economic party cannot be formed with words but with actions. Actions at the National Assembly mean legislation.”

NPAD Rep. Moon, for his part, said his party’s position remained unchanged and that he would continue to negotiate on the bills with the ruling party.

The NPAD argues that some of the economic bills run counter to the “economic democratization” vision in favor of big businesses. With regard to the labor reform bills set forth by the Saenuri Party, the NPAD demands them to be discussed at a separate social consultative body, contending they could further place irregular workers at an employment disadvantage.

By Yeo Jun-suk, news reports (jasonyeo@heraldcorp.com)