The National Assembly has begun its August extraordinary session, having opened its first plenary meeting at 10 a.m. Thursday as rival parties were expected to clash over controversial broadcasting bills.

The first bill to be introduced in Thursday’s session, one of three broadcasting bills pushed by the ruling Democratic Party, aims to alter the governance structure of MBC.

The bill is set to be put to a vote Thursday, as a filibuster by the opposition People Power Party ended earlier this month.

After the vote, a by-election will be held to select a new chairperson for the Legislation and Judiciary Committee to fill the vacancy left when former Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Choon-suak resigned in disgrace over allegations that he traded stocks under his aide’s name.

Then another broadcasting bill will be introduced, and the opposition plans to initiate another filibuster.

The pro-labor “yellow envelope bill” will be put to a plenary vote on Saturday, and on Sunday lawmakers will vote on a second round of revisions to the Commercial Act.