On December 11th, at the National Assembly in Seoul’s Yeouido, Jeong Cheong-rae, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, struck the gavel as heated exchanges erupted among the ruling and opposition party members during a full committee meeting concerning the December 3rd Yoon Seok-yeol insurrection case. The Democratic Party led the passage of a special prosecutor bill (insurrection special prosecutor bill) to investigate the legality of President Yoon Seok-yeol’s declaration of martial law.
The Judiciary Committee held a full meeting on the same day, during which the opposition party unilaterally processed the special prosecutor bill regarding the December 3rd Yoon Seok-yeol insurrection case and the Kim Geon-hee special prosecutor bill.
The insurrection special prosecutor bill mandates an investigation into all suspicions related to this martial law incident. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court’s Administration Office, the President of the Korean Bar Association, and the President of the Korean Association of Law Professors will each recommend one candidate, and the President will appoint one of these three as the special prosecutor. The bill also includes a provision allowing a standing special prosecutor passed in the National Assembly the previous day to support this general special prosecutor for the insurrection.
The Kim Geon-hee special prosecutor bill targets 15 suspicions related to Mrs. Kim Geon-hee. The Democratic Party will recommend one candidate, and a non-negotiating group will recommend another, from which the President will appoint one as the special prosecutor.
Previously, the Kim Geon-hee special prosecutor bill passed the National Assembly three times but was returned due to President Yoon’s exercise of his right to request reconsideration (veto), ultimately failing in a re-vote and being discarded.
The Democratic Party plans to present the insurrection special prosecutor bill and the Kim Geon-hee special prosecutor bill, which passed through the Judiciary Committee on this day, for processing at the National Assembly’s plenary session on December 12th.