S Korea parl passes new bill against Yoon’s martial law bid

Seoul, Jan 10: South Korea’s parliamentary judiciary subcommittee on Friday passed a new opposition-led bill mandating a special counsel probe into impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol’s failed martial law bid.
Opposition parties unilaterally passed the bill during a subcommittee meeting of the National Assembly’s legislation and judiciary committee. Lawmakers of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) boycotted the vote in protest of the bill.
The new version proposes that the Supreme Court’s chief justice recommend a special counsel to look into Yoon’s insurrection charges in an apparent effort to secure more defection votes from the PPP.
The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) also excluded a clause that allows opposition parties to request a new recommendation in the event the proposed candidate is deemed unfit.
Earlier in the day, South Korea’s Acting President Choi Sang-mok accepted the resignation of the Presidential Security Service (PSS) chief, according to Choi’s office, amid growing conflicts over the arrest of President Yoon Suk-yeol, who remained inside his fortified residence. (IANS)