Seoul:A bill proposing a special counsel investigation into alleged fabricated indictments against President Lee Jae Myung and others was introduced at a plenary session of the National Assembly on Thursday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the bill, introduced by Assembly Speaker Cho Jeong-sik, faced opposition from the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) but gained momentum with support from the ruling Democratic Party (DP), which holds the majority in the Assembly. The PPP launched a filibuster to delay the vote, but the DP plans to conclude the filibuster after 24 hours and push for a vote on Friday.
The bill, initially introduced by the DP in April, seeks an independent counsel to investigate allegations that the prosecution, under former President Yoon Suk Yeol, fabricated evidence or induced false testimonies in cases against Lee and others. The special prosecutor would review 12 cases, including six involving President Lee, linked to accusations from his tenure as mayor of Seongnam or governor of Gyeonggi Province. These cases were suspended following his election as president, in line with constitutional protections against criminal prosecution of a sitting president except for insurrection or treason.
The remaining cases pertain to events under former President Moon Jae-in's administration. The PPP has criticized the bill as a means to annul Lee's indictments, describing it as an anticonstitutional move and accusing it of pressuring the judiciary into predetermined acquittals. The DP had removed a clause allowing the special prosecutor to cancel indictments amid internal and external backlash, but the PPP claims the findings could still influence the justice ministry or prosecution to drop charges.
If approved, this would mark the seventh independent counsel appointment since Lee's presidency, following previous investigations into various allegations, including Yoon's martial law attempt and his wife's alleged corruption. The new special prosecutor would be selected by Lee from candidates recommended by the DP, PPP, and the minor Rebuilding Korea Party, with a team of up to 309 personnel for a maximum 200-day term.