Seoul: The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) has decided to unilaterally table a revised bill to launch a special counsel probe into impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol over his failed martial law bid. This decision comes after unsuccessful negotiations with the ruling People Power Party (PPP), officials revealed on Friday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, DP floor leader Park Chan-dae announced the decision to reporters, indicating that the discussions with the ruling bloc have collapsed. Park mentioned that the DP has made significant concessions regarding the scope of the special counsel probe bill, such as removing allegations that Yoon committed "treason" against his own country.
The opposition parties have been advocating for a revised special counsel bill that includes accusations of Yoon attempting to deliberately instigate war with North Korea. However, the PPP has contended that the bill's scope is excessive and has proposed its own version, excluding such allegations.
Park emphasized that the DP has accepted the PPP's requests concerning details like the probe's duration, highlighting that the revision nearly fully accommodates the PPP's demands. This announcement followed a failure to reach a compromise in talks between Park and his PPP counterpart, Kweon Seong-dong, which were overseen by National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik.
PPP floor leader Kweon previously stated that talks fell through due to differing positions. He criticized the opposition's negotiation approach, emphasizing that their bill only includes essential details to the extent of possible compromise, rather than engaging in back-and-forth bargaining.
The opposition-proposed bill is expected to pass the National Assembly, as the opposition bloc currently controls a majority with 192 seats in the 300-member parliament.