Rival parties likely to tussle over revote on special counsel probe bill

A police officer guards the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, Friday. The Assembly was supposed to hold the opening ceremony for the 22nd Assembly on Friday but postponed it for an undetermined period due to the conflicts between rival parties over a special counsel probe bill on the death of Marine Cpl. Chae Su-geun. Yonhap

The ruling People Power Party (PPP) and the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) are poised to argue over the likely revote of a bill on launching a special counsel probe into the death of Marine Cpl. Chae Su-geun, which passed the National Assembly on Thursday and is expected to be vetoed by President Yoon Suk Yeol.

The bill, proposed by DPK lawmakers and supported by other opposition parties due to suspicions that Yoon may have exerted influence to scale down the military’s investigation into the Marine’s death, passed the opposition-controlled Assembly with approval from 189 out of 190 lawmakers present at the plenary session.

Yoon, who has already vetoed a similar bill in May, can return it to the Assembly for a revote within 15 days after the bill was transferred to the government. This means that Yoon will likely refuse the special counsel probe for the second time amid the first anniversary of Chae’s death. He died during a rescue operation in a flooded area on July 19 last year.

When a vetoed bill returns to the Assembly, its passage requires approvals from two-thirds of attending lawmakers at a plenary session with more than half of registered lawmakers presenting.

If all 300 lawmakers attend, 200 approvals can override the presidential veto. Since the ruling party holds 108 seats while the DPK and other minor opposition parties are all endorsing the special counsel probe, eight approvals among PPP lawmakers will enable the special counsel probe, in theory.

Ruling People Power Party (PPP) Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo, right, holds his seat during a National Assembly plenary session in Yeouido, Seoul, Thursday, after casting a vote in favor of a special counsel probe bill on the death of Marine Cpl. Chae Su-geun. The PPP's Kim Jae-sub, left, walks back to his seat after voting against the bill. Other PPP lawmakers boycotted the voting in protest. Yonhap

Initially, the ruling party had worries because five to six of its lawmakers have openly endorsed the special counsel probe. However, the PPP is now expressing confidence in preventing further defections because some of the lawmakers who have endorsed the probe are now saying the bill is problematic.

Compared to the previous version, the bill passed on Thursday is more disadvantageous for the ruling bloc, as it allows the DPK to recommend one special counsel candidate and other minor opposition parties to recommend one.

“The special counsel probe is necessary to find the truth and punish those responsible for Chae’s death,” PPP Rep. Kim Jae-sub wrote on Facebook, Thursday.

“However, the DPK’s bill does not serve the purpose of finding the truth. It blatantly neglected the ruling party’s opinion and shortened the period of lower court trial to six months. This shows that they are not interested in the truth, but rather in hastily imprisoning someone.”

Kim was one of the PPP lawmakers who endorsed the probe. However, he opposed the bill during Thursday’s plenary session, becoming the only lawmaker who voted against the bill. Among PPP lawmakers, only Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo voted in favor of the bill, while others boycotted the voting to protest.

PPP floor leader Rep. Choo Kyung-ho also said Thursday that DPK and National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik are dictating the Assembly, and “our 108 lawmakers are staying united and will firmly stand against this parliamentary dictatorship.”

Ruling People Power Party's chair hopefuls attend the 70th anniversary ceremony of the Korea Freedom Federation in Incheon, Thursday. From left are Han Dong-hoon, Won Hee-ryong and Na Kyung-won. Yonhap

As bonds are deepening among PPP lawmakers against the probe, the DPK is carefully considering the timing for the revote, with some members floating an idea that the revote should be held in August after the PPP’s national convention on July 23.

“Since the national convention will feature the PPP’s chair election, it will eventually involve infighting among PPP factions,” a DPK official said on condition of anonymity. “And it will be more advantageous for the DPK in the revote.”

Currently, the PPP’s former interim leader, Han Dong-hoon, is leading the race for the chairmanship. Han is not a lawmaker but plans to propose a special counsel probe bill allowing “an objective third party, such as the chief justice of the Supreme Court,” to recommend the special counsel if he is elected, despite opposition from a majority of PPP lawmakers.

The DPK said it is open to Han’s proposal. DPK spokesperson Rep. Noh Jong-myun told reporters Thursday, “(the party is) open to the idea of changing who will recommend the special counsel when the official talk begins” but added that “previous special counsels recommended by the chief justice were far from being successful.”