Special counsel probe sought over Yoon Suk Yeol’s ‘treason’

The Democratic Party of Korea plans to pass a bill for appointing a permanent special counsel to investigate whether President Yoon Suk Yeol committed treason on the night he declared martial law.

The Democratic Party, which has enough seats in the Assembly to pass bills without ruling party support, will put to vote a permanent special counsel investigation bill on Dec. 10, according to the party’s chief spokesperson Rep. Jo Seoung-lae on Thursday.

Jo told reporters his party has made launching an investigation into Yoon over his martial law declaration and finding out whether the act amounts to treason a priority.

The process of establishing a permanent special counsel is shorter than a regular special counsel, and it can also evade a presidential veto, the Democratic Party chief spokesperson explained.

The permanent special counsel investigation of Yoon would be in addition to a separate investigation by the police of treason allegations faced by the president.

Presidents are immune from criminal liabilities while they are in office, with the exception being treason.

Third parties including the Rebuilding Korea Party, led by Rep. Cho Kuk who was justice minister for former President Moon Jae-in, have also filed treason charges against Yoon with the police.

Prosecutors on Thursday placed an overseas travel ban on former Minister of National Kim Yong-hyun, who is named by the opposition as colluding with Yoon to impose martial law. Yoon accepted Kim’s offer to resign earlier the same day.

Yoon shocked the country by announcing he was imposing martial law at around 10 p.m. Tuesday. Soon after his late-night TV address, police blocked access to the National Assembly and troops broke into the parliament compound for the first time in South Korean history.