South Korea's National Assembly failed on Thursday to advance a ruling Democratic Party-led bill that would have tightened restrictions on the president's power to declare martial law, after the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) boycotted the vote. Only 178 of the required 191 lawmakers participated in the plenary session, falling short of the two-thirds quorum needed to amend the constitution in the 300-seat parliament. The assembly plans a second vote on Friday, with the ruling party pushing to meet a May 10 deadline that would allow a referendum to be held alongside South Korea's June 3 local elections.