Ruling and Opposition Parties Agree to Extend Itaewon Disaster Special Committee Period by 10 Days... Plenary Session at 2 PM on the 6th

Witness Adoption, Differences Remain on Detailed Schedule
'Agreement on Extension First' Followed by Detailed Coordination
No Agreement Yet on January Extraordinary Session

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jun-yi] The ruling and opposition parties have agreed to extend the activity period of the Special Committee for the National Investigation into the Itaewon Disaster for ten days until the 17th. The National Assembly plans to hold a plenary session at 2 p.m. on the 6th to vote on this matter.

The floor leaders of both parties met for about 30 minutes at the National Assembly on the morning of the 5th and reached an agreement after discussing the extension of the national investigation period. Floor leaders Joo Ho-young and Park Hong-geun told reporters after the meeting, "We have agreed to extend the national investigation, which was scheduled to end on January 7, 2023, by 10 days until January 17, 2023," adding, "To approve the extension of the Special Committee's activity period, we will hold a plenary session tomorrow at 2 p.m. and pass the resolution."

This agreement appears to prioritize reaching a consensus on the extension of the investigation period with only about two days left before the deadline, intending to coordinate detailed disagreements afterward. Therefore, conflicts remain regarding issues such as the adoption of witnesses, on which the two parties have continued to show differences. Floor leader Park indicated that disagreements persist, saying, "(Regarding the 3rd hearing) It is appropriate for the Special Committee to discuss who the witnesses will be, when the hearing will be held, when to hold an expert public hearing for measures to prevent recurrence, and how to adopt the final report."

Additionally, the ruling and opposition parties are still at odds over whether to convene a January extraordinary session of the National Assembly. Floor leader Joo said, "The Democratic Party requested to convene an extraordinary session, but according to the National Assembly Act, there are no sessions scheduled in January. We conveyed that we cannot agree to convene the session immediately from January 9, and if discussions conclude, it will not be too late to convene an extraordinary session." On the other hand, floor leader Park emphasized the precedent for convening a January extraordinary session and stressed the necessity of holding a plenary session due to issues such as North Korean unmanned aerial vehicle incursions.