National Assembly passes two special investigation proposals, one of them into first lady

Dec 29, 2023, 09:48 am

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Lawmakers from the ruling People Power Party leave the plenary chamber on Dec. 28, 2023, before the National Assembly hold a vote on two special investigation proposals, one of them into stock manipulation allegations involving first lady Kim Keon-hee./ Photographed by Lee Byung-hwa

By AsiaToday reporters Park Ji-eun & Yoo Jennie & Jung Duk-soo

Two contentious special investigation bills, one of which pushes for an investigation into stock manipulation allegations involving First Lady Kim Keon-hee, were unilaterally passed by the opposition-led National Assembly on Thursday. The ruling People Power Party (PPP) has strongly opposed them, arguing they are a political ploy aimed at negatively painting the Yoon administration ahead of April’s general elections.

The office of President Yoon Suk-yeol said Yoon will immediately exercise his veto power as soon as the bills are transferred ot the presidential office, though it could run the risk of backlash ahead of the upcoming elections.

Earlier, the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) used its parliamentary majority to railroad the two bills. The PPP lawmakers left the plenary chamber to boycott the votes in protest. The bills called for an investigation into the so-called “Five Billion Won Club” linked to the corruption-ridden Daejang-dong development scandal as well as alleged stock manipulation of Deutsch Motors by the first lady. Out of 298 enrolled lawmakers, 180 participated in the vote and all of them approved it.

“Given the attitude of the prosecution who has been dragging on for nearly three years, an active investigation into the first lady is not expected,” DP lawmaker Song Ki-hun said in a debate over the bills. In response, PPP’s Lim Lee-ja refuted, saying, “The investigation into the Deutsche Motors stock manipulation case was an issue that the prosecution under the Moon Jae-in government investigated carefully,” adding, “If you claim that force covered the case, it means that the Moon administration covered it.”

If the special prosecution law takes effect, Mr. Speaker of the National Assembly requests the appointment of a Special Prosecutor to the President within three days. Upon receiving such request, the President must request a political party to recommend two candidates from the attorneys-in-law, one counselor of whom should be appointed by the President. Since then, the special prosecution law takes effect immediately after its promulgation. However, President Yoon has announced that he will exercise his right to request reconsideration.

The two special investigation bills are expected to return to the National Assembly early next year and be scrapped.

Proposed by the minor opposition Justice Party and endorsed by the DP, the bill was put on the Assembly’s fast-track system in April, which allows any proposal to be tabled at a plenary session automatically after an eight-month deliberation period.

#veto #Kim Keon-hee #Daejang-dong #special prosecution