The special prosecutor's bill investigating 11 cases, including allegations of stock price manipulation involving Kim Keon-hee and Deutsch Motors, passed the National Assembly general assembly on the 20th. It addresses suspicions that Kim was involved in unfair trading, market manipulation, and fraudulent trading activities related to Deutsch Motors, SAMBU Construction, Woori Technology, and others, as well as suspicions that she exerted influence over a change in the route of the Seoul-Yangpyeong Expressway.
The National Assembly held a general assembly in the afternoon and voted on the 'Kim Keon-hee special prosecutor investigation request.' According to the voting results, the bill was passed with 179 votes in favor, 85 against, and 1 abstention from 265 votes cast. Additionally, the 'drug investigation pressure special prosecutor bill' also passed the general assembly with 175 votes in favor, 76 against, and 4 abstentions from 255 votes.
The Kim Keon-hee special prosecutor, which passed the general assembly, specified 11 targets for investigation, including allegations of ▲ stock price manipulation and unlawful profit acquisition ▲ bribe-like sponsorship for exhibitions related to KOBANA CONTENTS ▲ allegations of receiving luxury handbags ▲ involvement in the contract for relocating the presidential office residence ▲ lobbying allegations regarding former Marine Corps 1st Division Commander Lim Seong-keun related to the death of a Marine ▲ and allegations of intervention in the approval of the Seoul-Yangpyeong Expressway.
The drug investigation pressure special prosecutor investigates suspicions that customs officials facilitated the smuggling of drugs when a Malaysian drug trafficking organization illegally imported drugs into the country in January 2023. The opposition party believes that the presidential office exerted pressure during the previous investigation conducted by the Yeongdeungpo Police Station in Seoul.
The special prosecutor will proceed as follows: ▲ The National Assembly special prosecutor candidate recommendation committee recommends two candidates ▲ The president appoints one of them. Up to 5 prosecutors and up to 30 civil servants may be dispatched under the special prosecutor law, and the investigation period is 60 days. The investigation period may be extended by up to 30 days on one occasion.
The special prosecutor investigation request bill will be activated immediately upon the National Assembly's resolution. Unlike the general special prosecutor law, the president cannot exercise the right of re-examination (veto). Previously, the Kim Keon-hee special prosecutor law proposed by the Democratic Party in the form of a general special prosecutor was discarded four times due to government re-examinations. Therefore, they decided to strengthen the offensive against the ruling party with a special prosecutor request that the president or acting authority cannot veto.
In a situation where the presidential impeachment ruling is delayed, the ruling party believes that the Democratic Party is pushing for a special prosecutor to create justification for impeaching Acting President Choi Sang-mok. Jang Dong-hyuk, a member of the National Assembly's Judiciary Committee from the People Power Party, said to reporters after the committee meeting, "Since the impeachment trial is not proceeding as the Democratic Party intended, they are trying to create additional grounds for impeachment against Acting President Choi Sang-mok by stirring up political attacks through the special prosecutor."
However, it is uncertain whether Acting President Choi will comply with the special prosecutor candidate appointment. The 'special prosecutor investigation request for insurrection' passed the general assembly last December, but Acting President Choi has not yet requested a recommendation for special prosecutor candidates.