By Domestic Political Correspondent Samantha Heo
HWAGANG: Today, Haesan has announced its intention to join the World Assembly, in a move that has been anticipated for the better part of a decade. The contentious bill passed the Chamber of Deputies by a margin of 232-163, with the decision coming with 24 dissentions from within the governing coalition. The legislation then passed the Chamber of the Commonwealth with 40 votes, 7 more than the 1/3 requirement to avoid a veto. While not formally required for the bill to become law, President Kim I-seul has given her assent to the decision, and the head of state will be using her power to ensure Haesan maintains a strong diplomatic presence at the World Assembly.
The decision is part of a larger trend of Haesanite integration in the broader international community in recent months, following Haesan’s admission into the League of IDU Nations and its decision to participate at the Hanshui ’23 Olympics. Several years ago, pressure mounted on the Choi administration to join the World Assembly after Laeral held the WA Delegacy for the IDU, but ultimately Haesan never joined on the basis of business interests. With a more liberal, internationalist government, it is unsurprising that they have put forth this legislation, especially with sources saying that Haesan’s entry into the WA was a prerequisite for the Lib Dems joining the governing coalition.
The move remains controversial, largely due to issues of cultural norms and monetary policy. WA legislation is significantly more liberal than the Haesanite consensus, especially on issues like drug use and legalization. Additionally, due to Haesan’s low tax revenues and heavy trade surplus, the nation runs an exceptionally tight budget, and the necessary fiscal expenditures to reach WA compliance will undoubtedly be burdensome. Prime Minister Sabrina Hwang has said that at least in the short to medium term that reaching compliance standards is “infeasible,” but that “bringing Haesan up to international norms over the long term is the ultimate goal.” The Prime Minister assured the crowd that Haesan will not be intentionally non-compliant with some WA legislation, but is expected that willful non-compliance will often be the case despite government insistence that it is doing everything it can to meet WA standards.
Long time diplomat and Haesan’s Foreign Affairs Minister from 2017-2019 Kim Eun-ho will be named as Haesan’s ambassador the the organization. Large protests in Sinju, Gyeongseong, and Hyangsan are being organized around the decision, and it is expected that they will proceed peacefully without major police intervention.