Special Counsel Bill on 'Fabricated Indictment' Allegations Tabled at Plenary Session; Vote Expected Tomorrow Amid PPP Filibuster

The so-called "Special Counsel Bill on Fabricated Indictment Allegations," which aims to investigate allegations of fabricated indictments by the prosecution under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, was introduced to the plenary session of the National Assembly today, led by the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK).

With the People Power Party (PPP) launching a filibuster, the special counsel bill is expected to be put to a vote tomorrow (November 6) afternoon.

Convening a plenary session this afternoon, the National Assembly tabled the "Bill on the Appointment of a Special Counsel to Uncover the Truth Behind Allegations of Fabricated Investigations and Fabricated Indictments by State Agencies Including the Prosecution Service, the National Intelligence Service, and the Board of Audit and Inspection Under the Yoon Suk Yeol Administration."

Proposed by the DPK in April, the special counsel bill was passed yesterday through the bill review subcommittee and the full committee of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee, led by the DPK amid opposition from the PPP.

The special counsel bill mandates an inquiry into allegations that, following the launch of the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, the prosecution and other state organs carried out fabricated investigations and indictments through targeted probes against the then-opposition party and political rivals.

The targets of the special counsel's investigation include the prosecution's probes and indictments in cases regarding allegations of breach of trust in the Daejang-dong, Wirye New Town, and Baekhyeon-dong development projects; Public Official Election Act violations related to the Daejang-dong and Baekhyeon-dong developments; subornation of perjury involving Kim Jin-sung; Ssangbangwool Group's unauthorized remittances to North Korea; bribery allegations concerning corporate sponsorships of Seongnam FC; former Gyeonggi Governor Lee Jae-myung's corporate card usage; and alleged false reporting aimed at defaming former President Yoon Suk Yeol.

Also subject to investigation are prosecutors' probes into allegations of statistics manipulation under the Moon Jae-in administration, the fatal shooting of a South Korean fisheries official in the West Sea and the forced repatriation of North Korean fishermen, bribery allegations related to the employment of former President Moon Jae-in's son-in-law, the leak of classified THAAD information, and the alleged manipulation of economic viability evaluations for the Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant Unit 1.

The investigation team's staffing is set at up to 20 dispatched prosecutors and up to 210 dispatched public officials, excluding prosecutors.

Including special investigators and other staff, the team may comprise up to 309 members—a scale comparable to the special counsel on the insurrection case, which operated with up to around 310 personnel.

The investigation period will run for up to 200 days, which includes a 20-day preparation period.

Under the bill, one candidate each will be recommended by the parliamentary negotiating blocs—the DPK and the PPP—as well as the Rebuilding Korea Party, which holds the largest number of seats among the non-negotiating blocs.

President Lee Jae-myung will then appoint one of the candidates as special counsel.

As soon as the bill was introduced, the PPP requested a filibuster and entered into debate.

In accordance with the National Assembly Act, which allows an unlimited debate to be ended with the approval of three-fifths or more of all sitting lawmakers once 24 hours have elapsed since its start, the DPK plans to terminate the debate tomorrow afternoon and bring the bill to a final vote.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.