Independent prosecutors allowed to conduct further probes into martial law debacle

Yonhap

SEOUL, January 20 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung approved a special bill at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday allowing further investigation into allegations related to disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol's botched martial law debacle, as well as a slew of suspicions involving his wife.

The approval came after the bill was spearheaded and passed last week by the ruling Democratic Party (DP), which holds a majority of seats in the National Assembly.

Independent prosecutors will now be allowed to investigate parts not covered, newly discovered, or insufficiently probed in their previous investigations for up to 170 days.

Their probes will cover Yoon's Dec. 3 declaration of martial law in 2024 as well as multiple charges against his wife Kim Keon Hee including accepting bribes such as a luxury handbag and jewelry, involvement in a stock manipulation scheme, and interference in candidate nominations during the 2022 by-elections.

After parliamentary nomination, the president will appoint a special prosecutor along with five assistant prosecutors, who can form a team of 15 investigators and up to 130 officials from relevant agencies.

After a 20-day preparation period, prosecutors have 90 days to complete their probes. But they may extend them twice by 30 days each, meaning the investigations could last until local elections scheduled for June 3, which some see as a move to sway voters for political gain.
Lee Hugh

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