Care center CCTV bill pushed again amid parents’ anger

The ruling party, government and Cheong Wa Dae have agreed to map out a revised motion on mandating CCTV installment at all day care centers next week, which was voted down on the last day of the National Assembly’s previous session.

During a meeting of the trilateral parties in Seoul on Friday, senior officials said they would pass the bill on the surveillance cameras, aimed at preventing child abuse, in the April extraordinary session.

The Assembly’s rejection of the bill earlier this week has caused severe public backlash including from young parents, as both ruling and opposition lawmakers had promised to enhance the oversight of child abuse cases after incidents of beating by some nursery employees were reveled earlier this year.

The governing Saenuri Party, in particular, is likely to put more focus on the bill ahead of the April 29 by-elections.

Participants included Prime Minister Lee Wan-koo, Saenuri Party chairman Kim Moo-sung, chief of staff Lee Byung-kee, Saenuri Party floor leader Yoo Seong-min and senior presidential secretary for political affairs Cho Yun-sun.

To revamp the public sector, the officials have shared the view that they would complete the overhaul of civil servant pension scheme by early May, following the agreement with the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy.

Amid the snowballing deficit of state funds, the Park Geun-hye administration has been seeking to complete a pay-more, receive-less reform of the pension plans for government workers.

By Kim Yon-se (kys@heraldcorp.com)