Nat'l Assembly passes bill extending special counsel probe into ex-President Yoon

The National Assembly passes a bill extending the mandate of a comprehensive special counsel investigation into unresolved allegations involving former President Yoon Suk Yeol during a plenary session, Tuesday. Yonhap

The National Assembly on Tuesday passed a ruling Democratic Party of Korea-led bill extending the mandate of a comprehensive special counsel investigation into unresolved allegations involving former President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife.

The bill was approved unanimously in a 173-0 vote during a plenary session shortly after a 24-hour filibuster by the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) ended. Lawmakers of the PPP and the minor Reform Party boycotted the vote.

Under the bill, the investigation period will be extended by 30 days from the current deadline of July 24 to Aug. 23. It will also increase the number of public officials dispatched to the special counsel team from 130 to 150 and expand the scope of the probe to include obstruction of audits by public officials.

The comprehensive special counsel investigation integrates three separate special counsel probes into Yoon's imposition of martial law in December 2024, allegations involving former first lady Kim Keon Hee and the death of a young Marine.

It was launched in February to look into key allegations that were not fully addressed by the three earlier probes.