A special parliamentary committee set up to look into the deadly Itaewon crowd crush is scheduled to begin activities in earnest on Monday. 
 
The special committee is set to hold a general meeting at 10:30 a.m. to confirm the schedule of the parliamentary investigation and the lists of witnesses to attend hearings. 
 
The committee held its first meeting on November 24 and appointed its three top members, including its chief Woo Sang-ho from the main opposition Democratic Party, but little progress has been made since then. 
 
The ruling People Power Party, however, will likely boycott the Monday meeting in protest of what it called the violation of a bipartisan agreement to pass next year’s budget bill first, and begin the inspection of the Itaewon case afterward. 
 
The rival parties failed to iron out their differences over next year’s budget plan before the legal deadline for passing the budget bill expired on December 2. The standoff continued beyond several extended deadlines set by National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo with the deadline once again pushed back to the end of Monday.