7th Special Counsel: Even Within Ruling Party, "What if Nothing Comes of It?"

[Anchor]

A special counsel bill addressing allegations of fabricated prosecutions has passed the National Assembly under the leadership of the ruling party. This marks the seventh special counsel launched under the current administration. Amid fierce opposition from the conservative opposition party, concerns over the bill's effectiveness and constitutionality have also emerged from within parts of the broader ruling bloc.

Kim Jiuk reports.

[Reporter]

[Cho Jeong-sik / Speaker of the National Assembly: I declare that the bill has passed.]

This afternoon (Nov. 6), a special counsel bill to investigate allegations of fabricated investigations and indictments by state agencies, including the prosecution during the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, passed the plenary session of the National Assembly.

After the broader ruling bloc, including the Democratic Party, voted to end the 24-hour unlimited debate (filibuster), lawmakers from the People Power Party walked out of the chamber en masse, and the bill was passed under the leadership of the Democratic Party.

This marks the seventh special counsel initiated under the current administration.

The targets of the investigation include cases related to President Lee Jae-myung, such as the Daejang-dong development and the Ssangbangwool remittance to North Korea, as well as cases from the Moon Jae-in administration, including alleged statistics manipulation and the killing of a South Korean fisheries official in the West Sea.

The special counsel team can consist of up to 309 members and conduct investigations for up to 200 days, including the preparation period.

The Democratic Party, the People Power Party, and the Rebuilding Korea Party will each recommend three special counsel candidates, from which President Lee will appoint one.

Although the bill passed amid controversy, concerns have also arisen within the broader ruling bloc.

Representative Jung Sung-ho of the Democratic Party, a former Minister of Justice, pointed out that there should have been deeper deliberation prior to passing the legislation.

[Jung Sung-ho / Democratic Party Lawmaker (MBC's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus') : "If we shake things up so drastically and nothing comes out, how many side effects will there be?"]

Cho Kuk, director of the Innovation Policy Research Institute of the Rebuilding Korea Party, who led judicial reform under the Moon Jae-in administration, argued that applying the Criminal Procedure Act prior to its revision to allow dispatched prosecutors to investigate could raise constitutional and legal concerns.

The People Power Party held a rally of condemnation, criticizing the special counsel bill as "fabricated legislation" itself.

[Jang Dong-hyeok / Leader of the People Power Party : "The trials must resume before Lee Jae-myung erases all of his crimes himself."]

The People Power Party plans to stage outdoor protests, including a condemnation rally in front of Gyeongbokgung Station in Seoul tomorrow.

(Video by Oh Young-choon and Kim Yong-woo | Video Editing by Jeon Min-gyu)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.