Led by the Democratic Party of Korea, the National Assembly placed on the floor a bill to extend the investigation period for the second comprehensive special counsel. The People Power Party pushed back against the ruling party's move to pass the extension bill for the comprehensive special counsel and launched a filibuster (a lawful obstruction of proceedings through unlimited debate).
On the afternoon of the 20th, the National Assembly convened a plenary session and placed on the floor a bill to amend the Act on the Appointment of a Special Prosecutor for Fact-Finding on the Acts of Insurrection, Treason, and State Capture by Yoon Suk-yeol and Kim Keon-hee.
The amendment allows the number of extensions of the investigation time for the comprehensive special counsel, which require presidential approval, to increase from the current one 30-day extension to two 30-day extensions. As scheduled, the comprehensive special counsel's investigation period was set to end on the 24th. The special counsel can also increase the number of dispatched public officials from the current 130 to 150. In addition, "obstruction of audits" by public officials related to the case was added to the scope of the investigation.
Seo Young-kyo, a Democratic Party lawmaker who chairs the Legislation and Judiciary Committee of the National Assembly, said in the bill explanation, "We proposed the special counsel law in the sense that there are difficulties in completely rooting out the remnants of insurrection by Yoon Suk-yeol and others and the remnants of state capture by Kim Keon-hee and others," and added, "By expanding the scope of the investigation, extending the investigation period, and increasing the investigative personnel, we aim to make the special counsel's probe substantive."
The People Power Party labeled the comprehensive special counsel extension bill as "political retaliation" and launched a filibuster. Five-term lawmaker Yoon Sang-hyun of the People Power Party took the first turn in the filibuster. Afterward, People Power Party lawmakers Yoon Yong-geun, Kim Tae-gyu, Lee Jin-sook, and Kim Min-jeon are expected to continue the filibuster.
In the filibuster, lawmaker Yoon Sang-hyun said, "The period for the second comprehensive special counsel law was originally three months. It was extended by 30 days the first time, and extended another 30 days the second time, and now they say they will extend it by another 30 days," and added, "It is no exaggeration to say this is a country of the Democratic Party, by the Democratic Party, and for the Democratic Party. All power comes from the Democratic Party."
The Democratic Party is expected to move on the 21st to forcibly end the People Power Party's filibuster and proceed to pass the bill. A filibuster can be put to a vote 24 hours after a motion to end it is submitted with the signatures of at least one-third of the members. It is forcibly ended if at least three-fifths of the members vote in favor.