Anchor: In a surprise turn of events, the ruling Democratic Party has accepted a proposal from the opposition and is now on board with a special counsel probe of the political gift scandal surrounding the Unification Church. While the main opposition People Power Party welcomed the decision, it also launched a filibuster against the ruling party’s special tribunal bill. The newly introduced bill targets former President Yoon Suk Yeol and others who face insurrection charges stemming from the events of December 3, 2024.
Choi You Sun reports.

Report: On Monday the ruling Democratic Party(DP) accepted the opposition’s proposal to launch a special counsel investigation into allegations that politicians from both camps received money and gifts from the Unification Church.

The ruling party’s sudden change of stance comes a day after it refused to accept a joint proposal from the main opposition People Power Party(PPP) and the minor Reform Party to have a third party recommend a special prosecutor to look into the bribery allegations.

The main opposition welcomed the decision and called for an immediate start to related consultations.

But there was no compromise on other requests from the PPP.

The opposition had also pushed for a parliamentary investigation of the prosecution’s decision to forgo an appeal in the Daejang-dong corruption case, which happened during President Lee Jae Myung’s tenure as mayor of Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. 

The PPP also objected to several bills the ruling party tabled, including one to set up a dedicated tribunal to try former President Yoon Suk Yeol and any alleged accomplices on insurrection charges in connection with last year’s martial law incident.

The PPP began a filibuster in response, although the DP revised the bill to give a judges’ council and task allocation panel the right to determine the composition of the tribunal instead of a recommendation body.

PPP chief Jang Dong-hyeok, who was the first to take the podium, slammed the ruling party’s bill and said it would be remembered as “the worst piece of legislation in the country’s history.”

As a motion to end a filibuster can be put to a plenary vote 24 hours after it begins with support from at least three-fifths of sitting lawmakers, the tribunal bill is expected to pass Tuesday.
Choi You Sun, KBS World Radio News.