Kim Keon-hee Special Counsel Investigation Act passes National Assembly, but ruling party asks President to exercise veto again

A plenary session is held at the National Assembly in the absence of ruling People’s Power Party lawmakers on September 19. Reporter Park Min-gyu

The Kim Keon-hee Special Counsel Investigation Act, the Marine Corps Corporal Chae Special Counsel Investigation Act, and the Local Currency Act passed the National Assembly's plenary session on September 19, led by the opposition. The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) said, “The Kim Keon-hee Special Counsel Investigation Act is the most urgent legislation related to people’s lives.” The ruling People’s Power Party (PPP) asked President Yoon Suk-yeol to exercise his right of veto over the bills. The presidential office criticized them as “special counsel investigation bills for stirring up political strife to protect DPK leader Lee Jae-myung.” As the situation where the president exercises his right to veto is repeated, the ruling and opposition parties are expected to intensify their confrontation.

The National Assembly held a plenary session on the same day and passed the “Bill to Appoint Special Prosecutors to Investigate the Truth About the Stock Manipulation Case of First Lady Kim Keon-hee” (Kim Keon-hee Special Counsel Investigation Act), “Bill to Appoint Special Prosecutors to Investigate the Truth About the Interference in the Investigation of a Fallen Marine and the Cover-up of the Case” (Corporal Chae Special Prosecutor Act), and “Amendment to the Act on Enabling the Use of Local Gift Vouchers (Local Currency Act).”

The Kim Keon-hee Special Counsel Investigation Act was approved by all 167 lawmakers present, and the Corporal Chae Special Prosecutor Act was approved by all 170 lawmakers present. The amendment to the Local Currency Act was passed with 166 votes in favor and three against out of 169 members present.

The bill mandating a special counsel investigation into the death of Marine Corps Corporal Chae Su-geun, which aims to determine whether the presidential office was involved in the investigation into his death, has already been vetoed by the president twice in the 21st National Assembly and failed to be passed. The bill, which passed the plenary session on that day, allows the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court to recommend four candidates for the special prosecutors, and the opposition parties to have the right to veto them.

The Kim Keon-hee Special Counsel Investigation Act covers eight allegations against Kim, including the manipulation of Deutsch Motors' stock price, acceptance of a luxury bag, external pressure to the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, bribery sponsorship for exhibitions hosted by Covana Contents, lobbying for saving people related to Chae's death, such as Lim Sung-geun, intervention in the ministerial personnel, and involvement in the nomination of candidates for the 22nd general election.

“The DPK will define the Kim Keon-hee Special Counsel Investigation Act as a minimum condition for restoring fairness and justice and restoring people's lives,” said Noh Jong-myeon, spokesperson for the DPK.

The PPP chose to boycott the plenary session instead of filibustering. Choo Kyung-ho, floor leader of the PPP, said, "The anti-constitutional special counsel investigation bills have been passed unreasonably by the DPK. I strongly recommend that the president exercise his right of veto."

Yoon's veto is an accomplished fact. A high-ranking official of the presidential office pointed out in a phone interview, “Continuing to pass the disagreed-upon special counsel investigation bills is nothing but focusing on political strife. What the DPK wants is to protect Lee Jae-myung.”

※This article has undergone review by a professional translator after being translated by an AI translation tool.