The main opposition Democratic Party(DP) said the government and ruling party's self-reflection and reforms after election defeat would begin with agreeing to a special counsel probe into alleged state interference in the case of the death of a Marine last year during a search and rescue operation.

At a press briefing on Saturday, DP chief spokesperson Kwon Chil-seung said the case shows overall disorder in the administration's handling of state affairs, such as incompetence in protecting public safety and lives, irresponsibility in fact-finding, as well as impudence in attempting to conceal the truth.

Emphasizing that the public, through the elections, had demanded that the administration turn over a new leaf, the spokesperson urged the ruling side to bear in mind that it received a vote of no-confidence after two years in office.

Kwon said there is no need to defer voting on the bill until the 22nd National Assembly, warning should President Yoon Suk Yeol veto it upon passage, the administration would face the people's "catastrophic" resistance.
 
The DP-proposed bill, which has been designated to be fast-tracked through parliament, was automatically submitted to the plenary on April 3.