Comprehensive Special Counsel Extension Bill Passes National Assembly Plenary on DPK-Led Vote

[Financial News] A bill to extend the investigation period of the three major comprehensive special counsel teams — covering insurrection, Kim Keon-hee and the Chae Sang-byeong case — by one month passed the National Assembly plenary session on the 21st, led by the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK).
At the plenary session that day, lawmakers approved an amendment to the sweeping special counsel bill that extends the investigation period of the three major special counsel teams from the 24th of this month to the 23rd of next month.
The revision also adds obstruction of audits by public officials related to cases under special counsel investigation as a subject of investigation, and increases the number of dispatched public officials from the current 130 to 150. It also creates a new rule requiring the comprehensive special counsel to consult with the relevant special counsel team on any matter related to investigation or prosecution that could overturn an existing decision by one of the three special counsel teams or affect the maintenance of charges. In addition, it includes a provision to designate up to 10 special investigators with at least five years of legal experience as prosecutors for maintaining indictments, so they can handle the prosecution of cases filed by the special counsel.
The bill had been introduced in the plenary session the previous day, but action was delayed by a filibuster from the People Power Party. The DPK then introduced a motion to end the filibuster and passed it with support from at least three-fifths of all lawmakers, or 180 seats, forcing an end to the debate before moving the bill forward. Before the vote, Han Byung-do, acting party leader and floor leader of the DPK, met with Kim Jun-hyung, floor leader of the Rebuilding Korea Party (RKP), and asked for cooperation in the vote to end the filibuster.

[email protected] Song Ji-won Reporter