South Korean filibuster runs over 100 hours

South Korean Opposition legislators seeking to block a government-backed “anti-terrorism” bill pushed their record-breaking filibuster into a sixth straight day of speeches in the parliamentary chamber on Sunday.

The filibuster began on Tuesday and had continued around the clock for more than 115 hours by Sunday afternoon, making it the world’s longest, according to the Kyunghyang Shinmun newspaper. The marathon filibuster easily surpas-sed a 58-hour session by 103 members of Canada’s New Democratic Party in 2011.

By Sunday afternoon, 23 legislators had spoken for an average of five hours each in opposition to a bill they believe will threaten personal freedoms if passed. Many carried boxes of documents to the podium at the National Assembly, some wearing sneakers.

Earlier this month, President Park Geun-hye’s office called for Parliament to pass the stalled security bill, part of tough action taken by her government amid heightened tension with North Korea following its test launch of a long-range rocket.

The Opposition wants the removal of a provision in the bill that would give South Korea’s intelligence agency authority to monitor private communications. Legislators from the conservative ruling Saenuri party have expressed dismay that the speech-making is causing other bills to be delayed ahead of parliamentary elections due in April.