Parliamentary committee passes special counsel probe bill into Yoon’s treason charges

A parliamentary committee on Monday passed a bill to appoint a permanent special counsel to investigate treason charges against President Yoon Suk Yeol over his botched martial law declaration.

The main opposition Democratic Party (DP), which holds a majority at the National Assembly, seeks to put the bill up for a vote during a plenary session Tuesday after it passed the legislation and judiciary committee.

Lawmakers of the ruling People Power Party did not attend the committee meeting in protest of the opposition’s unilateral push to pass the bill.

Since last week’s abrupt and brief martial law imposition by Yoon, the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), police and the prosecution have each launched their own probe into the case, but the DP has cast doubts over whether the three agencies will fully conduct the investigations.

Unlike a regular special counsel probe, the president cannot exercise the right to veto a bill over a permanent special counsel.

The president, however, can delay the appointment of the counsel.

During a subcommittee meeting of the judiciary committee earlier in the day, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, Counterintelligence Commander Yeo In-hyung and Choo Kyung-ho, floor leader of the ruling People Power Party (PPP), were added to a list of those subject to the investigation.

Yoon, former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, former Army Chief of Staff Gen. Park An-su and those who attended a Cabinet meeting before martial law was declared were on the initial list. Park had been named to lead the short-lived martial law command.

In addition to the permanent special counsel, the DP proposed a regular special counsel probe bill to investigate Yoon over his martial law declaration.

At Monday’s committee meeting, the DP also introduced another special counsel bill against first lady Kim Keon Hee’s alleged involvement in a stock manipulation scheme and interference in election nominations through a power broker. A similar bill failed to pass a plenary session of the National Assembly last week, with the PPP deciding to reject the bill as its party line.