SEOUL — South
Korea's parliamentary judiciary subcommittee on Friday passed a new
opposition-led bill mandating a special counsel probe into impeached President
Yoon Suk Yeol's failed martial law bid.
Opposition parties unilaterally passed the bill during a
subcommittee meeting of the National Assembly's legislation and judiciary
committee. Lawmakers of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) boycotted the vote
in protest of the bill.
The new version proposes that the Supreme Court's chief
justice recommend a special counsel to look into Yoon's insurrection charges in
an apparent effort to secure more defection votes from the PPP.
The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) also excluded a
clause that allows opposition parties to request a new recommendation in the
event the proposed candidate is deemed unfit.
The previous bill, which proposed special counsel
recommendations from the DP and the minor opposition Rebuilding Korea Party,
was scrapped Wednesday after being voted down by just two votes, Yonhap news
agency reported.
Earlier in the day, South Korea's Acting President Choi
Sang-mok accepted the resignation of the Presidential Security Service (PSS)
chief, according to Choi's office, amid growing conflicts over the arrest of
President Yoon Suk-yeol, who remained inside his fortified residence.
Park Chong-jun, head of the PSS, submitted his resignation
shortly before appearing for police questioning earlier in the day over
allegations that he obstructed the Corruption Investigation Office for
High-ranking Officials (CIO) from executing a court-issued warrant to arrest
Yoon last week.
"Park has submitted his resignation, and it has been
accepted," the finance ministry said in a statement.
Park, who has been booked on allegations of obstructing
official duties, complied with the police's third request for questioning after
defying two previous requests.
The CIO and police are reportedly preparing for a second
attempt to execute the arrest warrant to bring in Yoon, who is facing
allegations of insurrection over his failed attempt to impose martial law in
December.
Yoon has refused to cooperate with the CIO's summons or
warrant execution, arguing that the agency is not authorized to investigate
charges of insurrection.
