Seoul, Feb 24 (IANS) A South Korean parliamentary judiciary subcommittee on Monday passed an opposition-led bill mandating a special counsel probe into allegations against impeached South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol’s influence-peddling scandal during the 2022 by-elections.
The scandal involves allegations that Myung Tae-kyun, a self-proclaimed power broker, took approximately 76 million won (US$53,280) from former ruling party lawmaker Kim Young-sun in exchange for his help in getting her nominated for the 2022 parliamentary by-elections.
Myung allegedly won Kim Young-sun’s nomination in exchange for conducting public opinion polls favorable to Yoon ahead of the 2022 presidential election.
If the new bill passes the plenary session on Thursday, the special counsel will look into allegations that Yoon and first lady Kim Keon Hee were involved in the nomination process of the 2022 local elections and by-elections, as well as parliamentary elections last year.
Six opposition parties proposed the bill on February 11. Those parties believe the Changwon District Prosecutors Office, currently investigating Myung, is deliberately delaying its probe into Yoon, and they said they will look for possible interference by authorities at the Supreme Prosecutors Office and the presidential office of the senior secretary for civil affairs, Yonhap news agency reported.
Representatives from the ruling People Power Party refused to take part in the voting during the subcommittee’s meeting Monday.
Earlier on February 23, protests were held across South Korea to rally for or against President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment as the final Constitutional Court hearing of his trial draws near.
Meanwhile, the final hearing of Yoon’s impeachment trial is slated for Tuesday, after which the Constitutional Court will decide whether to remove him from office or reinstate him.
Yoon was impeached by the National Assembly over his short-lived imposition of martial law on December 3. He was also alleged to have sent military troops to the National Assembly to prevent lawmakers from voting down the martial law declaration and to have planned to arrest key political figures.
–IANS
int/jk/vd
