The National Assembly's "special committee for handling the special act on investment in the United States," which will discuss follow-up legislation after the U.S.-related tariff negotiations, will resume activities on the 3rd.
According to political circles on the 2nd, the opposition secretary of the special committee from the People Power Party said it plans to hold a full committee meeting tomorrow, run a subcommittee starting on the 4th, and aim to pass the bills by the 9th, the activity deadline. Although no official meetings have been held, it is known that behind-the-scenes talks have been underway between ruling and opposition secretaries.
At tomorrow's full committee meeting, nine special bills for managing strategic investment between South Korea and the United States will be introduced, and a motion to form the subcommittee will be put to a vote. Starting on the 4th, the special committee will operate the bill review subcommittee and begin full-fledged coordination of the legislation.
The special committee held a legislative hearing on the 24th of last month, but as the Democratic Party of Korea signaled a plenary vote on the so-called "three judicial reform bills," it did not finish introducing the bills or forming the subcommittee. After that, as the People Power Party continued a filibuster (unlimited debate), the special committee could not convene.
With the activity deadline approaching, both sides say they will first speed up the bill reviews. Regarding the subcommittee formation, it is reported that a consensus has formed on a plan under which Democratic Party lawmaker Jeong Tae-ho, the ruling party secretary, will serve as subcommittee Chairperson, and the subcommittee will consist of seven members: three Democratic Party lawmakers including the Chairperson, three People Power Party members, and one from the Rebuilding Korea Party.
Because the special committee was launched under the banner of bipartisan cooperation, the ruling and opposition parties are in principle aligned on operating it separately from the broader standoff in the National Assembly.
However, it cannot be ruled out that the operation of the special committee could be affected by the handling status of the Daegu–North Gyeongsang administrative integration bill, on which the People Power Party is asking the ruling party for cooperation. The special committee Chairperson is People Power Party lawmaker Kim Sang-hoon.