Rival parties agree to pass special counsel bill to investigate ballot shortages

Rep. Han Byung-do, center right, floor leader of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), poses with Rep. Jeong Jeom-sig, center left, floor leader of the main opposition People Power Party, at the National Assembly in Seoul, Tuesday, after signing an agreement to pass a special counsel bill to investigate ballot shortages reported during the June 3 elections. Yonhap

Rival political parties agreed Tuesday to pass a special counsel bill to look into ballot shortages reported during the June 3 elections within this month.

The agreement was reached during a meeting between ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) floor leader Han Byung-do and his main opposition People Power Party (PPP) counterpart, Jeong Jeom-sig.

Under the agreement, a six-member committee will be formed to recommend candidates for a special counsel, with three members recommended by each party.

The committee will receive three special counsel nominees each from the Korean Bar Association and the Association of Korean Law Schools, after which it will select two candidates through bipartisan agreement and recommend them to the president.

The president will then appoint one of the two candidates as the special counsel.

The rival parties are expected to each hold a general meeting of their respective lawmakers to seek approval for the agreement before moving forward with the bill.

Rep. Jeong described the deal as a "tentative agreement," noting that it still requires approval from lawmakers of both parties.

"Once the special counsel bill is approved at the general meeting of lawmakers, there will also be a briefing on the formation of parliamentary committees," he told reporters.

Tuesday's agreement raised hopes that the rival parties could break the deadlock over the allocation of committee chairmanships, a key issue that the two sides have wrangled over for weeks, leaving the National Assembly idle for over 50 days.