Seoul: Three bills mandating special counsel investigations into allegations involving the administration of former President Yoon Suk Yeol were enacted Tuesday following approval at a Cabinet meeting. These bills, marking the first legislative actions for President Lee Jae-myung since taking office last week, have raised questions about political neutrality and motives.
According to Yonhap News Agency, one of the bills requires special counsels to investigate insurrection and treason charges related to Yoon's failed declaration of martial law. Another bill calls for a probe into allegations against Yoon's wife, Kim Keon Hee, who is accused of accepting luxury goods as bribes, manipulating stock prices, and illegally intervening in the People Power Party's nomination of candidates for the National Assembly. The third bill addresses the death of a Marine during a search for missing flood victims and the presidential office's alleged pressure on officials investigating his death.
The passage of these bills through the Assembly was led by the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and is unprecedented in its simultaneous initiation of special counsels investigating three cases against key figures from the previous administration. These probes also potentially involve lawmakers from the People Power Party, raising concerns about political retaliation amidst the seriousness of the allegations.
The government and the ruling party claim the legislation aims to increase investigation efficiency by integrating separate probes to reveal the overall truth. However, concerns about the scale of the investigation and the appointment of special counsels persist. The bills allocate as many as 120 prosecutors to three special counsel teams, potentially impacting other investigations affecting ordinary people.
Among other provisions, the bills grant only the Democratic Party and the minor opposition Rebuilding Korea Party the exclusive right to recommend special counsels for the three cases, raising doubts about the political neutrality of their investigations. The opposition People Power Party has condemned the bills, arguing that the "triple investigations" are acts of political revenge.
Amid these controversies, Lee has vowed to base his government on "integration," emphasizing that special counsel probes should aim to reveal the truth and restore the rule of law, rather than serve as tools for political retaliation and oppression. The appointment of politically unbiased and respected special counsels is crucial to achieving this goal.