South Korea parliament votes to form special committee on US investment

SEOUL, Feb 9 (Reuters) - South Korea's parliament voted on Monday to form a special committee to accelerate legislation tied to Seoul's $350 billion investment commitments in the United States under a trade agreement between the countries.

The proposal was passed with 160 votes in favour, three opposing and one abstaining. The 16-member panel will include eight lawmakers from the ruling Democratic Party, seven from the opposition People Power Party and one from outside the two major blocs, with a PPP lawmaker serving as chair. The committee will operate under a 30-day mandate.

Parliamentary Speaker Woo Won-shik urged the committee to begin work immediately and aim to pass the related legislation by the end of February, citing the need to respond quickly to heightened U.S. tariff pressure and avoid further economic uncertainty.