Comprehensive Special Counsel Extension Plan by One Month Passes Led by the Ruling Party in the Legislation and Judiciary Committee

The National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee approved an amendment to the special counsel law on the 15th at a plenary meeting, which would increase the investigation personnel and duration of the second comprehensive special counsel, under the leadership of the Democratic Party of Korea. The People Power Party did not attend the meeting. The amendment includes increasing the number of special counsel personnel dispatched from 130 to 150 and extending the investigation period by one month. It also adds the Ministry of National Defense to the list of agencies from which dispatch requests can be made, and includes a basis for designating special investigators to handle the maintenance of prosecution. This amendment also newly added ‘obstruction of audit’ to the scope of investigation. As the special counsel investigates suspicions surrounding former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s office and residence relocation, among other matters, the ruling and opposition parties are strongly at odds over the special counsel’s operating period and scale.