The National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee on the 12th passed the second comprehensive special counsel (special prosecutor) bill, led by the Democratic Party of Korea. The bill is expected to be put on the floor at the National Assembly plenary session on the 15th.
From the morning, the committee convened the agenda coordination committee, the first subcommittee on bill review, and a full meeting in succession to handle a revised bill for the second comprehensive special counsel act (a bill on the appointment of a special prosecutor to uncover the truth about insurrection, treason, and state corruption committed by Yoon Suk-yeol and Kim Keon-hee).
One special prosecutor will be recommended by the Democratic Party and one by the largest non-negotiating group (Rebuilding Korea Party). The investigation period totals 170 days, including a 20-day preparation period. The investigation team may include up to five assistant special prosecutors, up to 100 special investigators, up to 15 prosecutors on dispatch, and up to 130 government officials on dispatch.
The period subject to investigation was revised to "from March 2022 to December 2024" instead of the original Dec. 3 martial law emergency day. The scope of the investigation also adds "all planning and preparatory acts, including establishing an emergency legislative body to dissolve the National Assembly," while deleting charges that could overlap with the Unification Church special counsel act.
The People Power Party protested and walked out of the chamber. People Power Party lawmaker Na Kyung-won criticized it as a "comprehensive special counsel for local elections and political maneuvering." Fellow party lawmaker Song Seok-jun also said, "Is it acceptable to spend nearly 50 billion won in separate funds under the name of a special counsel?" adding, "This goes beyond a disgrace and is a waste of the budget."
The Unification Church special counsel act, which the Democratic Party had pushed along with the second comprehensive special counsel act, was put on hold at the agenda coordination committee. Park Ji-won, a Democratic Party lawmaker who chairs the subcommittee of the agenda coordination committee, met reporters in the morning and said, "The Unification Church and Shincheonji special counsels will be put on hold at the agenda coordination committee today (the 12th)," adding, "The new leadership brought that view."