Opposition unilaterally passes revised bill targeting first lady despite PPP boycott

The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) on Thursday unilaterally passed a contentious bill calling for a special investigation into allegations involving first lady Kim Keon Hee despite fierce opposition from the ruling party.

The revised special counsel probe bill, which passed in a 191-0 vote, focuses on two key allegations involving first lady Keon Keon Hee — her alleged involvement in a stock manipulation scheme and interference in election nominations through a power broker.

The DPK's scaling back from its previous unsuccessful bills, which encompassed a much broader range of allegations against Kim, was seen as an attempt to gain support within the ruling party and to increase the chances of the bill's passage through a revote.

The bill also allows a third party to recommend a special prosecutor.

Lawmakers of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) refused to attend Thursday's parliamentary plenary session in boycott of the vote.

This was the third version of the bill targeting the first lady following a similar proposal vetoed by President Yoon Suk Yeol last month, which was ultimately scrapped in a revote.

Earlier in the day, the PPP held a general meeting of its lawmakers and said it decided to push ahead with the recommendation of a special inspector to look into possible corruption among the president's family members.

The ruling party will also request Yoon exercise his veto power against the bill, according to PPP floor leader Choo Kyung-ho.

For years, the PPP has not recommended candidates for the special inspector, instead urging the DPK to first recommend board members of the North Korean Human Rights Foundation. The foundation has remained inactive for eight years due to the DPK snubbing the nomination process.

The DPK plans to put the bill up for a revote on Nov. 28 if Yoon vetoes the bill.

A vetoed bill requires support from two-thirds of lawmakers to override the presidential veto.

Unless the DPK secures eight splinter votes from the PPP, which holds 108 seats in the 300-member National Assembly, the bill will be scrapped again. (Yonhap)