South Korea: National Assembly to Hold Revote on Special Probe Bill Targeting First Lady

The National Assembly on Friday was set to hold a revote on three contentious Bills, including one calling for a special investigation into allegations involving First Lady Kim Keon Hee, after President Yoon Suk Yeol vetoed them.

The special counsel Bill calls for an independent probe into Kim's stock manipulation allegations, as well as her receipt of a luxury bag and her alleged interference with the ruling party's candidate nominations ahead of the April 10 general elections, Yonhap news agency reported.

The opposition parties unilaterally passed the Bill at a plenary session last month before it was vetoed by Yoon. A similar Bill had previously passed through the Assembly but was also vetoed by Yoon in January and later scrapped in a revote.

If the Bills fail to gain the two-thirds support required to override the president's veto, they ultimately will be scrapped. The ruling People Power Party holds a little more than one-third of the Assembly seats.

Another Bill to be put to a revote during Friday's plenary session calls for a special counsel probe into allegations the presidential office and the defence ministry inappropriately interfered in the military's investigation into a Marine's death during a search mission in July 2023.

The main opposition Democratic Party had earlier passed three Bills similar to it, but the latest one calls for the Supreme Court chief justice to recommend candidates for the special counsel.

The third Bill proposes making it mandatory for the central and local governments to provide financial resources for the issuance of local currency vouchers designed to boost the economy.