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Assembly votes 179-85 to probe first lady

Published: 20 Mar. 2025, 18:10

First lady Kim Keon Hee salutes the national flag at a luncheon event for paralympic athletes at the Blue House on Sept. 13, 2024. [YONHAP]

The opposition-controlled National Assembly on Thursday passed a bill mandating a special probe into allegations surrounding first lady Kim Keon Hee.

The bill led by the main opposition Democratic Party passed the Assembly in a 179-85 vote with one abstention at a plenary session.

The special counsel bill calls for investigations into allegations related to Kim's involvement in stock manipulation and receipt of a luxury bag, among other issues.

Similar bills targeting the first lady had been vetoed by President Yoon Suk Yeol and scrapped in revotes, while the fourth and most recent one was rejected by acting President Choi Sang-mok in December after Yoon was impeached and suspended from duty.

Unlike a regular special counsel probe, the president cannot veto a permanent special counsel, though he or she can delay the appointment of the counsel itself to stymie the process.

It remains currently unclear whether acting President Choi will proceed with appointing special prosecutors recommended by the opposition party.

Yonhap