South Korea’s opposition parties have resubmitted a bill to appoint a special counsel to investigate the insurrection charge against impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol.
On Thursday, six opposition parties, including the main liberal Democratic Party, proposed the bill to the National Assembly. This move comes after a previous bill was scrapped the day before, when the ruling conservative People Power Party voted against it.
For the bill to pass in a revote, it requires the support of at least two-thirds of the 300 National Assembly lawmakers. The revised bill proposes that two candidates for independent counsel be recommended by the chief justice of the Supreme Court. Additionally, the number of dispatched prosecutors and investigators, as well as the investigation period, has been reduced to 155 and 150 days respectively, compared to the initial proposal.
President Yoon was impeached by the National Assembly on December 14 last year. The impeachment was submitted to the constitutional court, which has up to 180 days to deliberate. During this period, Yoon’s presidential powers are suspended.
The insurrection charge stems from an incident on December 3, when Yoon declared martial law—a decision that was revoked by the National Assembly just hours later. Investigative agencies have named Yoon as a suspected ringleader in the alleged insurrection.
The opposition parties argue that a thorough and independent investigation is necessary to uphold the nation’s democratic values and ensure accountability at the highest levels of government.
Reference(s):
Bill of special counsel investigation into Yoon Suk-yeol submitted
cgtn.com
