Lawmakers fail to override Yoon's veto of special probe into Marine's death

A bill mandating a special counsel probe into the military's handling of a Marine's death failed to muster enough votes in the National Assembly on Thursday to overcome President Yoon Suk Yeol's veto.

Lawmakers begin to exit the main chamber of the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, after the conservative People Power Party started its filibuster against one of four controversial bills aimed at reducing the government's influence over public broadcasters. [YONHAP]

A bill mandating a special counsel probe into the military's handling of a Marine's death failed to muster enough votes in the National Assembly on Thursday to overcome President Yoon Suk Yeol's veto.

The bill received support from 194 out of 299 lawmakers present, thus falling six votes short of the requirement that a bill receive support from two-thirds of lawmakers to override the president’s veto.

The Democratic Party (DP) has called for the appointment of a special counsel to investigate allegations the presidential office and the Defense Ministry meddled in the military’s inquest into the death of Marine Cpl. Chae, who drowned during a rescue mission for flood victims last summer.

The Yoon administration and conservative People Power Party (PPP) have opposed the bill, arguing that a special counsel probe should take place after police and the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials conclude their ongoing investigations in the case.

Yoon vetoed a similar bill in May, just before the 21st National Assembly ended its term.

The PPP and DP are clashing over other controversial bills in the National Assembly.

The PPP on Thursday began to conduct a filibuster after Speaker Woo Won-shik presented four DP-sponsored bills aimed at reducing the government’s influence over public broadcasters during the ongoing plenary session.

At an earlier meeting of the PPP’s Supreme Council, floor leader Choo Kyung-ho said his party “cannot acquiesce to the DP’s unilateral attempts to pass four bills affecting control over public broadcasters without any serious discussions between the main parties.”

Choo vowed that the PPP would respond strongly to prevent the DP from “taking permanent control of public broadcasting.”

During a filibuster, lawmakers hold the floor by speaking for extended periods to delay the passage of a bill.

However, under the National Assembly Act, a filibuster can be forcefully ended 24 hours after it began if at least three-fifths of all lawmakers, or 180, support its termination.

While the DP itself controls 175 seats in the 300-member legislature, it is likely to receive support to terminate the filibuster from the minor liberal Rebuilding Korea Party, which controls 12 seats in the National Assembly.

BY MICHAEL LEE [lee.junhyuk@joongang.co.kr]