Assembly votes down special probe bills targeting Yoon, first lady in revote

Jan 09, 2025, 07:26 am

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Lawmakers of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) leave the parliamentary chamber after the National Assembly voted down eight bills, including the special counsel bills to investigate an insurrection charge against President Yoon Suk-yeol and criminal allegations against his wife Kim Keon-hee, as well as the revision of the Grain Management Act, at the plenary session of the National Assembly on Jan. 8, 2025. / Source: Yonhap News

AsiaToday reporter Yoo Jenny

The National Assembly on Wednesday voted down eight bills, including two special counsel bills targeting impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol over his failed martial law bid and allegations surrounding first lady Kim Keon-hee which had returned to the National Assembly following the exercise of the veto by the acting president. The ruling People Power Party (PPP) made an official decision to vote against the special counsel bills, while the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) vowed to reintroduce the bills to the Assembly immediately. It is the fourth version of the bill targeting Kim following a similar proposal vetoed by Yoon, which was ultimately scrapped in a revote.

During the plenary session, eight bills including the “Special Prosecutor Act on Insurrection,” the “Special Prosecutor Act on Kim Keon-hee,” the “Four Agricultural Laws” (Grain Management Act, Agricultural and Fishery Products Price Stabilization Act, Agricultural Disaster Countermeasures Act, Agricultural Disaster Insurance Act), the amendment to the National Assembly Act, and the amendment to the National Assembly Testimony Appraisal Act, were put to a revote but were all rejected. If a bill is put to a revote following the exercise of the veto by the president or acting president, it is automatically discarded if it does not meet the requirement of a

Acting President and Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Choi Sang-mok vetoed the two bills on Jan. 2. In the case of the “Special Prosecutor Act on Kim Keon-hee,” President Yoon had already exercised the veto three times, with the government ruling party pointing out the unconstitutionality of the opposition party’s exclusive right to recommend special prosecutor candidates. The special counsel probe bill targeting Kim was rejected in the plenary session with 196 votes in favor, 103 against, and 1 invalid vote out of 300 members. It failed to meet the revote requirement of 200 votes in favor. Another special probe bill targeting Yoon saw 198 votes in favor, with 101 objections and one abstention.

The PPP held a general assembly meeting just before the plenary session and reaffirmed its policy to reject the dual special prosecutor bills and other remaining bills. Immediately after the vote, the DP held a protest rally criticizing, “It has been confirmed that there are not even eight members within the People Power Party with a conscience and righteous conviction.”

“Just as Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed for lacking 10 righteous people, the People Power Party will come to ruin,” said Rep. Park Chan-dae, the DP floor leader. “It was a serious violation of the Constitution and the law, and opposing the investigation and punishment for this is something only anti-state forces or accomplices in insurrection dreaming of a lawless dictatorship would do,” he said. “The Democratic Party will promptly reintroduce the Special Prosecutor Act on Insurrection.”

#special prosecutor bill #National Assembly #revote