Democratic Party, from today, 'Itaewon State Affairs Investigation'... National Power "Breaking Agreement"

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Today (19th), the Democratic Party will enter into a full-scale government investigation to find out the truth about the 'Itaewon Disaster'.

Because the special parliamentary investigation committee was linked with the budget negotiations, the ruling party is claiming that the agreement was broken, but the budget negotiations have yet to find a compromise.

Reporter Som-wook Sohn reports.

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Democratic Party of Korea this morning announced a general meeting of the parliamentary investigation to find out the truth about the 'Itaewon disaster'.

The ruling and opposition parties agreed to conduct a parliamentary investigation after the budget bill was processed, but in a situation where negotiations on the budget bill were slow, the special committee for the government investigation into the Itaewon disaster could not be delayed any longer.

The Democratic Party announced today that it would go through the investigation schedule and witness adoption process, and that even members of the three opposition parties would gather and discuss.

[Woo Sang-ho/Chairperson of the Special Committee on State Affairs (Democratic Party of Korea): I judge that I can't delay any longer.

We cannot wait indefinitely in front of a disaster in which 159 lives were lost.]

People's power was fiercely criticized for 'breaking the agreement'.

Asking whether an agreement exists to keep only when it is advantageous and break it when it is unfavorable, he criticized, "The special enforcement of the National Security Council alone is a reckless choice for the Democratic Party to close all doors on its own."

[Jang Dong-hyuk/People's Power House Spokesperson: After starting the parliamentary investigation, discussions on the budget bill will flow without time.]

The ruling and opposition parties repeatedly negotiated even on the weekend, but could not find a compromise.

On issues such as local currency and basic pension, an opinion approach was reached, but the difference of opinion could not be narrowed over the reduction of the corporate tax rate, the police department, and the budget for the personnel information management team.

[Ho-Young Joo/Representative of People's Power: Most of the opinions except for the two items have been approached...

.]

[Park Hong-geun/Democratic Party floor leader: Please consider that there is a persuasion process, and I think we will continue the consultation a little longer.]

There is an expectation that a last-minute agreement is not impossible, but it will not be easy to unravel the twisted skein of the political situation if budget negotiations are not concluded. A view emerges.