South Korea: Cabinet approves special probes into ex-President Yoon, his wife

Seoul: The South Korean Cabinet on Tuesday approved bills to appoint special counsels to probe a botched martial law bid by former President Yoon Suk Yeol and corruption allegations against his wife, former first lady Kim Keon Hee.

President Lee Jae-myung presided over the Cabinet meeting that also approved a special counsel probe into the drowning death of a Marine during a rescue operation for flood victims in 2023.

Lee is widely expected to endorse the three bills and promulgate them, with the recommendation and appointment of special prosecutors likely to follow.

Lee expressed hope that the special counsel investigations will transparently uncover the truths behind the related allegations, according to the presidential office.

“Lee’s enactment of the three special counsel bills, the first since taking office, was intended to meet the public’s expectations for addressing insurrection charges and restoring constitutional order, as reflected in the presidential election,” presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung told reporters.

The probes would add legal pressure on Yoon, who was removed from office in April and is now on trial for charges of leading insurrection and abuse of power related to martial law.

One of the bills targeting Yoon mandates a permanent special counsel to investigate 11 charges, including insurrection and military mutiny, over his failed martial law bid in December.

The bill, previously vetoed and discarded twice, has been reintroduced with an expanded scope, increasing the number of charges from six to 11.

Another bill against the former first lady is aimed at launching a special probe into allegations of stock price manipulation, her acceptance of a luxury bag and interference with the election nomination process, Yonhap news agency reported.

The third bill proposes a special counsel probe into alleged interference by the presidential office and the Ministry of National Defence in the military’s investigation into the death of a Marine during a search-and-rescue operation in July 2023.

The number of prosecutors to be dispatched could reach up to 120 — the largest size ever — and the investigations could extend over a period of 170 days.

IANS