Rival parties agree to not extend special counsel probes surrounding Yoon

Ruling Democratic Party of Korea floor leader Kim Byung-kee, right and his main opposition People Power Party counterpart, Song Eon-seog, left, shake hands ahead of a meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap

Rival political parties agreed Wednesday to keep three special counsel investigations into various allegations surrounding former President Yoon Suk Yeol at their current lengths, without extending them.

The agreement was reached during a meeting between ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) floor leader Kim Byung-kee and his main opposition People Power Party (PPP) counterpart, Song Eon-seog.

Extending the investigations was part of the DPK's proposed revisions to three bills mandating the appointment of special prosecutors to determine the facts related to Yoon's attempt to impose martial law, various corruption allegations targeting his wife, Kim Keon Hee, and his administration's alleged interference in a military probe into a Marine's death.

Under the DPK proposals, the investigations into the martial law attempt and the former first lady can be extended from a maximum 150 days to 180 days, while the investigation related to the Marine's death can be extended from a maximum 120 days to 150 days.

During the floor leaders' meeting, however, the rival parties agreed not to extend the durations, while also reaching a compromise on the number of additional personnel each special counsel team can have, a number expected to be capped at 10.

The two sides additionally agreed to allow recorded broadcasts of Yoon's trial on insurrection charges on a conditional basis, instead of making them mandatory.

The amendments to the special counsel bills will be passed during a plenary session on Thursday.

In return for the concessions, the PPP said it would "cooperate as much as possible" to create the legal conditions for the establishment of a financial supervisory commission, which was proposed by the Lee Jae Myung administration as part of its government reorganization plan.