Seoul:A bill calling for a special counsel probe into alleged fabricated indictments targeting President Lee Jae Myung and others was presented at a plenary session of the National Assembly on Thursday. The introduction of this bill, which has faced significant opposition from the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), was led by Assembly Speaker Cho Jeong-sik with the support of the ruling Democratic Party (DP), which holds a majority in the Assembly.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the PPP responded to the bill's introduction by launching a filibuster, although the Democratic Party plans to end the filibuster after 24 hours and proceed with a vote on Friday. Initially introduced by the DP in April, the bill seeks to appoint an independent counsel to investigate claims that the prosecution under former President Yoon Suk Yeol fabricated evidence or coerced false testimonies in cases against Lee and others.
The final version of the bill mandates the special prosecutor to probe the prosecution's indictments in 12 cases, six of which involve alleged misconduct by President Lee during his tenure as mayor of Seongnam or governor of Gyeonggi Province. These allegations include corrupt development schemes, illegal remittances to North Korea, and misuse of a government charge card. Trials related to these charges were halted after Lee's election as president, as per Article 84 of the Constitution, which exempts a sitting president from criminal prosecution except in cases of insurrection or treason.
The remaining cases to be included in the special counsel's investigation mostly pertain to incidents during former President Moon Jae-in's administration. The PPP has vocally opposed the bill, arguing it aims to nullify all of Lee's indictments. PPP floor leader Jeong Jeom-sig described the bill as an unconstitutional move against parliament, accusing it of trying to influence judicial outcomes by predetermining the indictments were fabricated.
The Democratic Party had initially proposed a clause allowing the special prosecutor to cancel indictments but removed it following internal and external backlash. Despite this, the PPP contends the findings from the special counsel could still lead to charges being dropped by the justice ministry or prosecution. Senior presidential secretary for political affairs, Hong Ihk-pyo, clarified that the bill's intent is to investigate alleged prosecutorial misconduct under the previous administration, emphasizing the difficulty prosecutors face in probing their own ranks.
If passed, this would mark the seventh appointment of an independent counsel since Lee's inauguration, with previous investigations addressing issues such as Yoon's failed martial law attempt and his wife's alleged corruption. The new special prosecutor, selected by Lee from candidates recommended by the DP, PPP, and the Rebuilding Korea Party, would lead a team of up to 309 members for a maximum of 200 days.