An agreement reached by the two rival parties on the Sewol probe puts an end to months of bipartisan fighting, but it remains unclear how long this interparty truce will last as it is expected to face fierce opposition from the victims’ families.

“On Tuesday, the two sides may have created a breakthrough to a prolonged political stalemate,” said Lee Jeong-hee, a political science professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. “But there will be another round of political impasses in the course of negotiations before they finalize the bill because the main opposition will continue to include the victims’ families demands in the bill,” he said in a telephone interview with The Korea Herald.

On late Tuesday evening, the ruling and main opposition parties reached the dramatic compromise on the terms of the controversial bill aimed at uncovering the truth behind the ferry sinking.

Both sides agreed to consider “later” whether to allow the victims’ families to participate in the selection process of candidates for an independent counsel. The deal was a step back for the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy, which had been boycotting all parliamentary sessions since August, urging the ruling Saenuri Party to accept the families’ demand for a role in the recommendation process. The Saenuri Party has been rejecting the call, saying that the negotiations on the Sewol probe should be carried out without having the victims’ families on board as this could tarnish the neutrality of the probe. But the terms ― which stipulate that both parties discuss whether to involve victims’ families in the selection process ― are likely to spark another round of bitter confrontation before the two sides finalize the bill.

“The NPAD stood up for victims’ families and that is what the party has promised. If the party failed to include the families’ voices in the bill, it would lose its footing,” Lee of HUFS said.

Other critics said that the compromise was reached amid deepening public criticism of a prolonged parliamentary paralysis. It was the opposition party which was being pressured to accept the public’s demand to stop boycotting lawmaking sessions, said Yun Seong-yi, a political science professor at Kyung Hee University.

“The worsening public sentiment over a prolonged political stalemate may have pressured the opposition party,” Yun said. “The opposition party’s bargaining power was also weakened after the two previous agreements reached with the ruling party were overturned,” the professor added.

The agreement also came as victims’ families began to lose public trust due to assault allegations involving several of their spokespersons.

“Public opinion supports Tuesday’s agreement between the floor leaders, and the bereaved families will likely be under immense pressure to accept the deal,” said Choi Young-jin, political professor at Chung-ang University in Seoul.

Tuesday’s agreement has at least brought lawmakers from the two major parties back to work.

Right after the compromise, lawmakers of the main opposition party who have boycotted all sessions since August, attended a special parliamentary session and started to legislate bills aimed at revitalizing the economy and improving the livelihoods of the people. The two parties also agreed to hold the parliamentary audit session starting Oct. 7.

Meanwhile, Cheong Wa Dae said on Tuesday evening that it is good to hear that the rival parties have returned to the parliament although the compromise on the Sewol bill came “quite late.” Presidential spokesman Min Kyung-wook in his statement that he hopes that the parliament will pass a scores of bills aimed at improving the people’s livelihood as well as the special bill on the ferry probe. President Park had remained silent, repeatedly saying that the matter should be handled by the political parties, not by herself or the government.

Despite the attempt to normalize the parliament, it is likely to suffer another round of stalemates as the two sides differ over other bills proposed by the government. Floor leaders of the two parties agreed to process the Sewol bill by linking the government reorganization bill and the so-called “Yoo Byung-eun bill” by the end of October. The NPAD opposes the government’s plan to dismantle the Coast Guard and set up new offices to improve the nation’s safety. This would give the NPAD more bargaining power in negotiations with the ruling party as it could push its demand while refusing to pass the two government-proposed bill.

The NPAD floor leader said on Wednesday that she would make more efforts to have the voice of the families heard in the negotiations on the Sewol bill.

“I am sorry that I didn’t do much,” wrote Rep. Park while visiting a memorial hall launched for the Sewol victims in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province.

“But I will make efforts to the best of my ability,” she added.

Experts predicted Rep. Park will carry on as the main opposition party’s floor leader. “Rep. Park has recovered some of the prestige she lost last month by getting the job done Tuesday,” said professor Yang Seung-ham of Yonsei University. “She is likely to stay on as floor leader of the NPAD until at least the end of the year.”

Park had served as the party’s interim chief for one month, only to resign after NPAD hard-liners blamed the third-term lawmaker for failing to negotiate a more favorable deal over the special Sewol bill with the ruling party.

By Cho Chung-un, Jeong Hunny
(christory@heraldcorp.com) (hj257@heralrcorp.com)