South Korea Forms Special Committee to Expedite U.S. Trade Agreement Legislation

On February 9, Jin10 reported that South Korea's parliament voted on Monday to establish a special committee aimed at accelerating the legislative process for investment commitments under the U.S.-South Korea trade agreement. According to Jin10, the committee comprises 16 members, including eight from the ruling Democratic Party, seven from the opposition People Power Party, and one from outside the two major parties. A member of the People Power Party will chair the committee, which has a 30-day mandate. Speaker Woo Won-shik urged the committee to commence work immediately and aim to pass the relevant legislation by the end of February, citing the need to swiftly address the pressure from U.S. tariff increases and avoid further economic uncertainty.