For the second time in three days, the office of President Park Geun-hye on Sunday urged the National Assembly to pass the long overdue government reorganization bill this week to help her new administration get to work.

In an emergency news conference at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae, Park’s spokeswoman Kim Haing requested that the parliamentary approval of the government reorganization bill be completed before the ongoing special Assembly session ends on Tuesday.

“The parliamentary failure to pass the reorganization bill has dealt a particular blow to Park’s aim to create a new ministry in charge of future science and technology policies and revive the maritime affairs ministry,” Kim said.

“Even worse, government efforts to improve the people’s livelihoods and create more jobs have yet to move ahead due to the failure to appoint any of the Cabinet ministers caused by the reorganization bill impasse,” she said.

The news conference came one hour before rival parties go back to the negotiating table over the troubled government reorganization bill.

Sunday’s petition came after Kim said in a similar press conference Friday that the Park government’s hands and feet are tied because it cannot fully activate the government organization.

The ruling Saenuri Party submitted the reorganization proposal, which calls for creating new government offices and reorganizing duties among existing offices, to parliament for approval late last month, but negotiations with the opposition Democratic United Party have failed to produce a compromise.

The deadlock, coupled with the still ongoing parliamentary confirmation process for Park’s Cabinet nominations, forced her to take office without a new Cabinet on Feb. 25.

Park has also skipped a weekly Cabinet meeting that would have marked her first since taking office.

One of the most contentious points in Park’s proposal is the transfer of some duties of the watchdog Korea Communications Commission to the ministry of future creation and science to be established under the new government.

The opposition party claims the proposed transfer would hurt the neutrality of broadcasting firms, while the ruling party says it will increase government efficiency.

Kim has hinted that Park won’t backtrack on the proposed transfer, saying, “It is groundless that there is an intention to undermine the broadcasting industry.” (Yonhap News)