2nd Special Prosecutor's investigation extension bill passed the National Assembly on July 21, led by the ruling party. The second special prosecutor, tasked with investigating remaining allegations following the three major special prosecutors (insurrection, Kim Geon-hee, and Chae Hae-byeong), will have its investigation period extended until August 23.
During the session, the National Assembly approved the bill titled 'Partial Amendment to the Act on the Appointment of Special Prosecutors for Investigating Insurrection, Foreign Exchange, and State Affairs Manipulation by Yoon Suk Yeol and Kim Geon-hee' with unanimous support from 173 lawmakers present. Members of the People Power Party and the Reform Party abstained from the vote. A filibuster initiated immediately after the bill was introduced ended after 24 hours, following agreement from lawmakers of the Democratic Party and other ruling coalition members.
The amendment extends the investigation period of the second special prosecutor by 30 days and increases the cap on dispatched personnel from 130 to 150. It also includes provisions to investigate acts that obstruct audits by public officials and allows for the designation of up to 10 special prosecutors with at least five years of legal experience as prosecutors for maintaining public prosecution.
The People Power Party opposed the bill's introduction by the Democratic Party, responding with a filibuster. Floor leader Jeong Jeom-sik stated during a meeting that the special prosecutor had demanded the attendance of opposition politicians just before the end of the investigation period, claiming that the extension was a blatant lobbying effort by the ruling party, revealing the essence of the special prosecutor as a means of suppressing the opposition.
He further criticized the special prosecutor's extension as merely a continuation of the three major special prosecutors, stating that it was a waste of national investigative resources, ultimately passing the burden onto the public.
Starting from the previous day, lawmakers including Yoon Sang-hyun, Kwak Gyu-taek, Lee Jin-sook, Kim Tae-kyu, and Yoon Yong-geun participated in the filibuster. However, the filibuster was forcibly concluded after 24 hours due to the ruling coalition's agreement to end the debate.
During the session, the National Assembly approved the bill titled 'Partial Amendment to the Act on the Appointment of Special Prosecutors for Investigating Insurrection, Foreign Exchange, and State Affairs Manipulation by Yoon Suk Yeol and Kim Geon-hee' with unanimous support from 173 lawmakers present. Members of the People Power Party and the Reform Party abstained from the vote. A filibuster initiated immediately after the bill was introduced ended after 24 hours, following agreement from lawmakers of the Democratic Party and other ruling coalition members.
The amendment extends the investigation period of the second special prosecutor by 30 days and increases the cap on dispatched personnel from 130 to 150. It also includes provisions to investigate acts that obstruct audits by public officials and allows for the designation of up to 10 special prosecutors with at least five years of legal experience as prosecutors for maintaining public prosecution.
The People Power Party opposed the bill's introduction by the Democratic Party, responding with a filibuster. Floor leader Jeong Jeom-sik stated during a meeting that the special prosecutor had demanded the attendance of opposition politicians just before the end of the investigation period, claiming that the extension was a blatant lobbying effort by the ruling party, revealing the essence of the special prosecutor as a means of suppressing the opposition.
He further criticized the special prosecutor's extension as merely a continuation of the three major special prosecutors, stating that it was a waste of national investigative resources, ultimately passing the burden onto the public.
Starting from the previous day, lawmakers including Yoon Sang-hyun, Kwak Gyu-taek, Lee Jin-sook, Kim Tae-kyu, and Yoon Yong-geun participated in the filibuster. However, the filibuster was forcibly concluded after 24 hours due to the ruling coalition's agreement to end the debate.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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