Synopsis
On March 14, the Acting President of South Korea, Choi Sang-mok, called for a reconsideration of an opposition-led bill for a special counsel investigation into President Yoon Suk Yeol, linked to an alleged influence-peddling scandal related to the 2022 parliamentary by-elections.Key Takeaways
- Choi Sang-mok calls for a review of the bill.
- Allegations involve influence-peddling in the 2022 elections.
- Myung Tae-kyun is accused of receiving funds for political favors.
- Choi expresses concerns over the investigation's scope.
- The Democratic Party criticizes Choi's veto power usage.
Seoul, March 14 (NationPress) The Acting President of South Korea, Choi Sang-mok, on Friday urged the National Assembly to revisit an opposition-led proposal for a special counsel investigation into President Yoon Suk Yeol. This inquiry concerns a purported influence-peddling scandal associated with the 2022 parliamentary by-elections.
The legislation, which was approved by the Democratic Party (DP)-dominated parliament on February 27, aims to probe allegations that Myung Tae-kyun, a self-identified power broker, received around 76 million won (approximately US$52,300) from former ruling party member Kim Young-sun in exchange for aiding her nomination in the by-elections.
The special counsel would additionally examine claims that Yoon and first lady Kim Keon Hee were implicated in the nomination processes for both the 2022 local elections and last year’s parliamentary elections.
Choi remarked, “The breadth of the investigation is excessively wide and lacks specificity, which raises concerns about potential breaches of the constitutional principles of precision and proportionality,” as reported by Yonhap news agency.
It is alleged that Myung facilitated Kim Young-sun's nomination in exchange for conducting favorable public opinion polls for Yoon prior to the 2022 presidential election. Both Myung and the former ruling party lawmaker, Kim Young-sun, have already been indicted.
“As the prosecution’s investigation is intensifying, the introduction of a special counsel inquiry contradicts the fundamental intent of the special prosecutor system,” Choi further stated.
This marks the eighth instance of Choi exercising his veto since taking on interim leadership in December, including a veto regarding a special counsel investigation into Yoon concerning his declaration of martial law.
The Democratic Party has ramped up its criticism of Choi, accusing him of consistently using his veto power to obstruct significant opposition-led initiatives.
Typically, motions like this are sanctioned during Cabinet meetings led by the prime minister and subsequently forwarded to the president for approval before being sent back to the National Assembly for a revote.
