Opposition launches filibuster, hunger strike over DP's 'second comprehensive special counsel bill'

The National Assembly kicked off its first plenary session of the year with a dramatic escalation in tensions as the ruling and opposition parties clashed over the passage of a controversial special counsel bill.

People Power Party (PPP) leader Jang Dong-hyeok, left, stages a hunger strike in the main rotunda of the National Assembly in western Seoul on the morning of Jan. 15, urging the Democratic Party to accept the “twin special counsel bills” on alleged political lobbying by the Unification Church and scandals involving paying for nominations. At his right is PPP floor leader Song Eon-seog. [LIM HYUN-DONG]

The National Assembly kicked off its first plenary session of the year with a dramatic escalation in tensions as the ruling and opposition parties clashed over the passage of a controversial special counsel bill.

The ruling Democratic Party (DP) pushed through what it calls the “second comprehensive special counsel bill” on Thursday, prompting lawmakers from the opposition to launch a filibuster and a hunger strike in response.

Under a bill tabled at the National Assembly on Thursday, a new special counsel would have up to 156 investigators and 170 days to re-examine 14 issues that lawmakers say were inadequately addressed by three earlier probes.

The previous three special counsel investigations focused on the alleged insurrection by former President Yoon Suk Yeol during his botched martial law declaration in 2024, former first lady Kim Keon Hee and the death of a Marine during a flood rescue operation in 2023.

The 14 unresolved issues include allegations surrounding the rerouting of the Seoul-Yangpyeong Expressway, former first lady Kim’s use of a private phone, a controversial notebook kept by former Defense Intelligence Command chief Noh Sang-won and suspected coordination between local governments and the military in planning for martial law.

People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok, sixth from the left in the front row; floor leader Song Eon-seog, fifth from the left in the front row; and other lawmakers hold a rally in the main rotunda of the National Assembly in western Seoul on Jan. 15, ahead of a plenary session, to protest the Democratic Party’s push to pass a second comprehensive special counsel bill. [YONHAP]

Despite pushback from the opposition, the DP pressed forward, with floor leader Han Byung-do declaring, “This is the final opportunity to fully resolve the insurrection scandal.”

People Power Party (PPP) leader Jang Dong-hyeok began a hunger strike on Thursday, protesting the passage of the bill.

“I hope my hunger strike sends a stronger message to the public about the DP’s brazen refusal to support the special counsel bills on the Unification Church and the scandals involving paying for nominations, as well as the overreach of this second special counsel bill,” Jang said in a speech at a rally held ahead of the plenary session. He began his fast in the main rotunda.

Criticizing the DP and President Lee Jae Myung, Jang said, “These people don’t know when to stop. Even a dog stops eating when it’s full, but they just keep going as if their stomachs are about to burst.”

The DP pushed back. “They’re the ones who sabotaged the Unification Church bill by trying to exclude Shincheonji, and now they’re resorting to a hunger strike? This is the height of hypocrisy,” said Mun Geum-ju, the DP’s floor spokesperson.

Inside the chamber, a filibuster showdown unfolded.

“What we need now is not a second round of rehashed probes into a dead administration but investigations into corruption involving the current powers, such as the Unification Church and the money-for-nomination scandal,” Rep. Chun Ha-ram from the conservative Reform Party said.

Rep. Chun Ha-ram from the conservative Reform Party delivers a filibuster during the 431st extraordinary session at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Jan. 15, opposing a bill to appoint a special counsel to investigate alleged insurrection, foreign collusion and abuse of power by former President Yoon Suk Yeol and former first lady Kim Keon Hee. [NEWS1]

“This second special counsel bill is nothing more than a way to score points with [President Lee’s core fan base],” Rep. Chun continued.

Reform Party leader Lee Jun-seok criticized the bill on Facebook. “The term ‘comprehensive’ suggests a broad scope, while ‘special’ implies a narrow focus. The name ‘comprehensive special counsel’ is contradictory from the start,” he wrote.

“If this is truly an all-encompassing special counsel, how is it different from the prosecution’s special investigation unit? The DP says it opposes that, but now it’s trying to create its own version?”

The DP plans to forcibly end the filibuster on Friday afternoon under National Assembly procedures and push the second special counsel bill to a vote.

Before the special counsel bill was introduced, the Assembly passed 11 noncontentious bills. These included a revision to the Child Welfare Act, which establishes a special committee to analyze child abuse-related deaths, and an amendment to transfer the aviation and railway accident investigation board from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to the Prime Minister’s Office. Families of victims of the Dec. 29, 2024, Jeju Air plane crash in Muan, South Jeolla, were present and wept, asking, “Why did this take so long?”

Competing motions from the DP and PPP regarding calls for a parliamentary investigation into Coupang were also reported. The DP proposed focusing on the company’s alleged violations of personal data rights and labor abuses, while the PPP pushed for an investigation centered on preventing future data breaches and hacking incidents.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY LEE CHAN-KYU [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]