The earlier bill, which did not have the ruling People Power Party's (PPP) support, was vetoed by President Yoon Suk-yeol in January due to concerns over granting full investigative power to the panel.

The new compromise bill establishes a committee made up of members recommended by the two major parties and a chair chosen through consultations between them.

The committee will look into the tragedy.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol's administration is pushing for a bill to establish an independent investigative body into the deadly Itaewon crowd crush incident that occurred in October 2022, killing nearly 160 people.

The bill comes after Yoon met with opposition leader Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party and following pressure from victims' relatives and the UN Human Rights Committee for an independent inquiry.

The agreement on the bill is seen as a positive sign of political cooperation.

The incident, which took place during Halloween celebrations in Seoul's Itaewon district, has sparked calls for accountability.

A police investigation from last year found that a lack of preparation and an inadequate response were the primary causes of a deadly crush in South Korea.

In January 2023, the former head of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency was indicted by prosecutors for negligence related to the incident.

No senior government officials, including the interior and safety ministers, have resigned or been dismissed in connection to the crush.