The National Assembly has passed a 200-day special counsel investigation into the prosecutions of President Lee Jae Myung and former President Moon Jae-in. The People Power Party calls it a "jailbreak bill", is boycotting the judiciary committee and is weighing a constitutional appeal.
South Korea's main opposition People Power Party on Tuesday called on President Lee Jae Myung to veto a bill, passed by the National Assembly last week, that would appoint a special counsel to investigate whether prosecutors under former President Yoon Suk Yeol fabricated evidence or induced false testimony to build cases against Lee and others. The Korea Herald reports that the bill provides for a 200-day investigation into indictments against Lee and former President Moon Jae-in and now awaits the president's signature.
PPP leader Jang Dong-hyeok, speaking at a party meeting held outside the presidential office, described the legislation as "a jailbreak bill designed to get Lee, who should be behind bars, out of jail". Floor leader Jeong Jeom-sig objected to the 38 billion won (US$28 million) cost of the investigation and said the party would consider a constitutional appeal, arguing that Lee holds the power to appoint the counsel who would investigate his own cases. PPP members of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee announced on Monday a boycott of all committee proceedings, including budget reviews. The Korea Herald notes the boycott's effect is limited, because the ruling Democratic Party chairs the committee and holds a majority on it.
The Democratic Party rejects the accusation, pointing out that clauses allowing the special counsel to cancel indictments were removed from the final version. When a judiciary subcommittee approved the bill on 4 November, DP Rep. Kim Eui-kyeom told reporters that "all clauses related to the cancellation of the indictments have been deleted". Lee faces five criminal trials, including one over an alleged land corruption scandal in Gyeonggi Province, all suspended since he took office in June 2025 under a constitutional article that exempts a sitting president from prosecution except for insurrection or treason.
An editorial in The Korea Herald, carried by Yonhap, argues the law is "tailor-made for one person", notes that half of the 12 cases assigned to the special counsel involve Lee, and warns that the justice minister could still use the counsel's findings as grounds to direct the prosecutor general to withdraw indictments. The editorial also objects that the law gives 20 dispatched prosecutors powers under a since-amended version of the Criminal Procedure Act. The PPP plans outdoor rallies in major cities, beginning in Busan on Saturday, and a relay of one-person protests outside Cheong Wa Dae until the bill is vetoed.
