National Assembly Approves Extension of Itaewon Tragedy Investigation Committee and Other Bills in Plenary Session

On September 3, the National Assembly convened a plenary session and passed 17 non-contentious bills, including a bill to extend the activity period of the Itaewon Tragedy Special Investigation Committee. Additionally, the Assembly approved a fundraising plan for flood relief donations to support Nepal, which suffered severe damage from major flooding.

During the afternoon plenary session, both ruling and opposition parties passed the 'Special Act Amendment on Guaranteeing the Rights of Victims, Uncovering the Truth, and Preventing Recurrence of the October 29 Itaewon Tragedy.' Out of 231 members present, 220 voted in favor. As a result, the activity period of the Itaewon Tragedy Special Investigation Committee will be extended by approximately one year, until September of next year.

Yonhap News Agency

The Assembly also passed an amendment to the National Intelligence Service Act that explicitly includes "economic security" in the agency's scope of work. In addition, over 10 non-contentious livelihood bills related to small and medium-sized companies and small business owners were also passed during the plenary session. The National Assembly also received a government report on the 2027 budget bill and fund operation plan. Based on this, the ruling and opposition parties plan to begin full-scale discussions on next year's budget bill.

However, several bills that received considerable public attention, including the Urban Maintenance Act, the Urban Redevelopment Promotion Act, and the Yongsan Park Creation Special Act, were not separately introduced for a vote. The reason cited was that negotiations are still ongoing between the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Seoul Metropolitan Government. Jeon Eunsu, spokesperson for the Democratic Party, stated, "What is needed more than simply passing the bills are substantive supply measures," adding, "We are prioritizing the negotiations."

Meanwhile, the Assembly also passed the fundraising motion for flood relief donations for Nepal, which was heavily damaged by major flooding. According to the plan, 3% of lawmakers' September allowances will be collected as donations to assist Nepal's recovery. National Assembly Speaker Cho Jeong-sik expressed, "We send our deepest condolences and solidarity to the government and people of Nepal, who are mourning due to more than 1,000 casualties and extensive damage," and added, "We sincerely hope for the safe return of our missing citizens."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.