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Acting president vetoes bill on special counsel for alleged election interference by Yoon

Published: 14 Mar. 2025, 17:32 Updated: 16 Mar. 2025, 15:42

MICHAEL LEE
[email protected]

Acting President Choi Sang-mok speaks at a Cabinet meeting held at the government complex in Jongno District, central Seoul, on March 14. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

Acting President Choi Sang-mok on Friday vetoed a bill to establish a special counsel probe into allegations that impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol interfered in the conservative People Power Party's (PPP) candidate nomination process.

The bill, which was railroaded through the National Assembly by the liberal Democratic Party (DP) last month, calls for an investigation into suspicions that a self-proclaimed power broker, Myung Tae-kyun, convinced Yoon to support former lawmaker Kim Young-sun’s bid to run on the PPP’s ticket in a 2022 parliamentary by-election.

Kim allegedly paid 76 million won ($52,300) to Myung in exchange for his help soliciting the president’s backing for her nomination.

Myung is believed to have been able to request such favors from the president in exchange for conducting free public opinion surveys favorable to Yoon prior to his election in early 2022.

Kim eventually won the by-election to represent Changwon’s Uichang District in the National Assembly from 2022 to 2024. Both she and Myung were indicted by the prosecution in December last year.

The bill vetoed by Choi also sought to task the special counsel with investigating allegations that Yoon and first lady Kim Keon Hee were involved in the PPP’s nomination process during the 2022 local government elections and the 2024 general election.

During a Cabinet meeting on Friday, Choi argued that the probe “is excessively broad and lacks clarity” and could “violate the constitutional principles of precision and proportionality” regarding investigations.

Choi noted that the prosecution is already investigating the case and argued that a special counsel probe would only distract from the ongoing criminal investigation.

However, he urged prosecutors to thoroughly investigate the allegations surrounding Myung and warned that their credibility could be called into question if they fail to conduct a “swift and impartial inquest.”

Friday marks the eighth time that Choi has vetoed a bill since becoming acting president in December.

His use of the veto power has triggered mounting criticism from the DP that he is shielding Yoon and his associates from parliamentary scrutiny.

BY MICHAEL LEE [[email protected]]