The government is expected to brief lawmakers on its investment package for the United States on Sept. 21 and 22, Cho Seung-rae, chairman of the National Assembly's Finance, Economy and Planning Committee, said on the 17th.
Cho, a member of the ruling Democratic Party, told a full committee meeting that "the government appears to be aiming to wrap up the investment talks with Washington before the Chuseok holiday."
The Ministry of Trade and Industry had originally planned to give a closed-door briefing on the U.S. investment plan to the finance committee and the industry committee on the 17th, but notified lawmakers a day earlier that it was postponing the session. The delay is attributed to unresolved differences with Washington over issues including nuclear reactor designs and spent nuclear fuel reprocessing.
Bae Joon-young of the main opposition People Power Party, the committee liaison for the opposition, said of the postponement that "it is only natural to deliberate repeatedly in negotiations with a difficult counterpart like the United States," but added that "the reasons for the delay reported in the media are precisely the points the People Power Party had said needed to be flagged or reviewed in advance."
Kang Min-kuk, another People Power Party lawmaker, said, "There is enormous concern about investing in the United States using the nation's foreign exchange reserves," adding, "The public has a right to know, so is there any reason this has to be done behind closed doors?"
Oh Ki-hyoung of the Democratic Party, the committee liaison for the ruling party, said, "It is right to disclose what can be disclosed to the public where possible," and proposed holding a briefing after consulting with the government following the closed-door session.
