Seoul, Jan 31 The South Korean Cabinet on Friday demanded the National Assembly reconsider an Opposition-proposed bill that calls for a special counsel probe into President Yoon Suk Yeol on his failed martial law attempt last month.
The motion demanding reconsideration was approved during a Cabinet meeting, chaired by acting President Choi Sang-mok, who emphasised that there is no probable cause for appointing a special counsel, as Yoon has already been arrested and indicted on insurrection charges.
"At this point, as judicial proceedings are still ongoing, many have pointed out that it is difficult to justify the need for a separate special counsel," Choi said.
Choi also pointed out that the bill contains elements that may be unconstitutional and raise concerns over the potential disclosure of state secrets.
The revised bill, proposed by the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), was passed by the opposition-controlled parliament on January 17, despite unanimous opposition from lawmakers of the ruling People Power Party. The opposition bloc currently dominates the 300-member parliament with 192 seats.
It marks the seventh time that the acting president has exercised his veto power since assuming interim leadership last month, Yonhap news agency reported.
Typically, motions like these are approved during Cabinet meetings chaired by the prime minister and sent to the president for endorsement before being returned to the National Assembly for a revote.
The latest bill omits allegations that Yoon has committed 'treason' by attempting to provoke a deliberate conflict with North Korea, which were previously part of a bill rejected by Choi last month.
The ruling party had criticised the DP-proposed bill as being "overly broad" and said it would propose its own version that does not include insurrection charges against Yoon.
On Sunday, prosecutors indicted and detained Yoon on charges of leading an insurrection after receiving the case from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, which does not have a legal mandate to indict a president.
Yoon is charged with conspiring with former Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun and others to incite an insurrection by declaring an unconstitutional and illegal state of emergency, despite the absence of any signs of war, armed conflict or a comparable national crisis.
Yoon, who is also facing an impeachment trial, has become the first sitting president in South Korea's history to be indicted while in detention.
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