Assembly may probe Choi scandal

By Kim Hyo-jin

Three opposition parties agreed Tuesday to push for a parliamentary probe into the influence-peddling scandal involving Choi Soon-sil, the longtime confidant of President Park Geun-hye.

The decision was made at a meeting among the floor leaders of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), the minor opposition People’s Party and Justice Party, to discuss how to handle the fallout of the power-related scandal.

The three parties also decided to seek an investigation by an independent counsel by passing a special bill.

“The parties agreed to seek cooperation from the ruling party in launching a parliamentary investigation and independent counsel,” said DPK spokesman Rep. Ki Dong-min. “We urge the Saenuri Party to accept our proposal if it is taking the situation seriously and hopes to show sincerity in settling the scandal.”

It is expected that rival parties will trade barbs over a range of witnesses and subjects to investigate, even if the ruling Saenuri Party agrees with a parliamentary probe, according to party officials.

According to a related law, one fourth of the sitting lawmakers can submit a motion to begin a parliamentary probe and it can be endorsed with a majority of lawmakers who appear at a plenary session.

With 165 opposition lawmakers and six independent lawmakers, an endorsement is possible with cooperation among the opposition parties in simple arithmetical terms, in the 300-seat Assembly.

However, due to a regulation that a special committee to lead the probe should include a certain proportion of lawmakers from each party that form a negotiation bloc, the opposition parties will have to seek cooperation from the ruling party.

Finalizing a plan for a probe should be preceded by the formation of a special parliamentary committee.