The two rival parties are to approve the plans for the parliamentary investigation into the Sewol ferry disaster.

Saenuri Party Rep. Cho Won-jin and New Politics Alliance for Democracy Rep. Kim Hyun-mee, who represent the parties in the committee, told reporters after their meeting that the two sides have agreed on the plans, but declined to elaborate on the details.

The plans are said to specify the Cheong Wa Dae secretariat as an organization that will be subjected to the parliamentary investigation. In addition, the committee must be briefed by the head of the organization under the investigation, bypassing the key sticking point in the bipartisan negotiations over the issue.

The NPAD had pushed to name presidential chief of staff Kim Ki-choon in the plans. The ruling party opposed it, saying that it was not an accepted practice to name a list of witnesses to be questioned in a parliamentary investigation.

The plans are to be processed at the meeting of the special committee charged with the issue, and at the plenary session set for 9:30 p.m. Thursday.

Although the two sides had neared agreement late Wednesday, the ruling party declared the negotiations null over opposition lawmakers’ decision to provide information to the media.

By Choi He-suk (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)