The National Court Administration on the 12th said there is concern that the "second comprehensive special counsel" being pushed by the Democratic Party of Korea could "in effect appear to be another extension of the existing three special counsels (special counsel investigating the insurrection case, Kim Keon-hee special counsel, Marine Corps special counsel)."
According to the National Assembly on the 12th, the National Court Administration, a judicial administration body under the Supreme Court, expressed the view on the second comprehensive special counsel bill proposed by Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Lee Seong-yun, saying, "It would be desirable to undergo sufficient consideration and discussion regarding the need to run a second special counsel."
These points were included in the review report on the second comprehensive special counsel bill prepared by a senior staffer of The National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee. In effect, it signaled opposition to the bill.
The National Court Administration said, "Operating a special counsel is an exceptional measure to the normal investigative system," adding, "It inevitably involves the input of massive budgets and personnel, and secondary problems may arise, such as delays in investigations by regular investigative agencies due to the dispatch of investigators to the special counsel." It continued, "Due to overlap with existing investigations, the efficiency of the special counsel's investigation may not be high."
The bill proposed by Lee lists 14 charges or suspicions as targets of the special counsel's investigation, including charges of insurrection and external treason-related military rebellion regarding the Dec. 3 emergency martial law declaration, charges that state agencies and local governments supported martial law, and charges of planning and preparing the so-called Noh Sang-won notebook contents.
It also includes allegations that former President Yoon and his spouse intervened in electioneering in violation of the Public Official Election Act through transactions with specific religious groups such as the Unification Church. The National Court Administration said this part could overlap in scope with the pending Unification Church special counsel bill and noted that, if handled together, it would be necessary to resolve confusion from overlap by excluding the relevant portion, among other steps.
The National Court Administration also conveyed a negative view on the clause requiring open hearings and rulings for trials related to the second comprehensive special counsel. It said that making court hearings public without exception could, in some cases, harm national security, public order, or good morals, and that it is necessary to examine consistency with constitutional provisions that allow exceptions to open trials for these reasons.
The Democratic Party of Korea argues that pushing the second comprehensive special counsel act is necessary, citing parts among the three special counsel investigation targets that require follow-up investigations and suspicions additionally revealed about former President Yoon and his spouse during the investigative process.