A subcommittee of the National Assembly’s Public Administration and Security Committee has passed a revised bill aimed at upgrading the veterans affairs ministry to a Cabinet-level ministry and creating a new agency for overseas Koreans.

The committee said its bill deliberations subcommittee passed the revision to the Government Organization Act on Wednesday.

The passage came a day after the ruling People Power Party and the main opposition Democratic Party held a three-plus-three policy consultation meeting and agreed to handle the revised bill during this month's extraordinary parliamentary session.

The two sides failed, however, to narrow differences over whether or not to abolish the gender equality and family ministry and decided to hold further talks among their floor leaders. 

The revised bill will be referred to a vote in a plenary session on February 24 after it is approved during a full session of the Public Administration and Security Committee and the Legislation and Judiciary Committee.