Special counsel bills against Yoon, first lady scrapped after vote to overturn veto fails
Published: 08 Jan. 2025, 18:22
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- MICHAEL LEE
- [email protected]
Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI
![Two special counsel probe bills targeting President Yoon Suk Yeol and first lady Kim Keon Hee, as well as eight other pieces of vetoed legislation, are scrapped after failing to gather enough votes at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Jan. 8. [NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/01/08/e11f90dc-b92f-4f81-a895-3e4ef5622a1d.jpg)
Two special counsel probe bills targeting President Yoon Suk Yeol and first lady Kim Keon Hee, as well as eight other pieces of vetoed legislation, are scrapped after failing to gather enough votes at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Jan. 8. [NEWS1]
The liberal Democratic Party (DP) failed to muster enough votes in the National Assembly on Wednesday to salvage two bills to establish special counsel probes into President Yoon Suk Yeol and first lady Kim Keon Hee.
Both bills, which were vetoed by acting President Choi Sang-mok last month, fell short by only a few votes to gather the requisite two-thirds support to override the presidential veto.
The first of the two bills would have established a special counsel probe into Yoon’s short-lived imposition of martial law, while the other would have addressed multiple allegations against first lady Kim Keon Hee.
Over the past several months, Kim has been accused of involvement in a stock price manipulation scheme, accepting a luxury handbag from a Korean American pastor and interfering in the conservative People Power Party’s (PPP) nominations ahead of the 2024 general election.
Out of 300 lawmakers present at Wednesday’s plenary session, 198 voted in favor of the special counsel probe bill against Yoon, while 101 voted against. One vote was deemed invalid
The special counsel probe bill targeting Kim was supported by 196 lawmakers and opposed by 103.
That bill was the fourth proposal for a probe into Kim. All three previous iterations were rejected by Yoon and were scrapped after failing to receive enough votes to overcome his veto.
However, the latest vote breakdown shows that at least some PPP lawmakers broke ranks to support the two bills despite floor leader Kweon Seong-dong’s announcement the previous day that the party would vote against the legislation.
The PPP controls 108 seats in the 300-member legislature — not enough to prevent the DP-led liberal bloc from unilaterally passing legislation, but enough to prevent the Assembly from overriding the president’s veto.
Six other bills, including a controversial agricultural bill that was vetoed by acting President Han Duck-soo before his impeachment, were also scrapped after failing to muster enough support from lawmakers on Wednesday.
The Grain Management Act, which requires the government to purchase surplus rice to stabilize prices, was previously proposed by the DP in 2023 but scrapped after being vetoed by Yoon.
![Lawmakers from the Democratic Party denounce the rival People Power Party for failing to support two special counsel probe bills targeting President Yoon Suk Yeol and first lady Kim Keon Hee during a rally inside the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Jan. 8. [NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/01/08/f7b17075-9b6b-436b-a221-73fc54cab211.jpg)
Lawmakers from the Democratic Party denounce the rival People Power Party for failing to support two special counsel probe bills targeting President Yoon Suk Yeol and first lady Kim Keon Hee during a rally inside the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Jan. 8. [NEWS1]
Despite its failure to overcome Choi’s vetoes, the DP announced it plans to present both special counsel probe bills to the National Assembly in the near future.
During a rally held by DP lawmakers inside the legislature’s lobby after they left the main chamber, DP floor leader Park Chan-dae blasted the PPP for dooming both bills.
“Today, the PPP confirmed it can count only eight lawmakers with a conscience and righteous conviction,” he said.
He also predicted that the PPP “will come to ruin like Sodom and Gomorrah for lacking even 10 righteous people.”
“Those who consider Yoon and Kim to be exceptions to the law are feudalists serving a king, not democrats,” Park said.
BY MICHAEL LEE [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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