After the departure of opposition party members, 182 out of 183 present voted in favor
Lee Jae-myung, party leader, visits the National Assembly during hospitalization to vote
Yellow Envelope Act and Broadcasting 3 Laws requested by the opposition are postponed
The special prosecutor law (Special Prosecutor Law) related to the death of Marine Corps Corporal Chae Su-geun has been designated as a fast-track agenda item. The People Power Party opposed the vote itself and left the plenary session before the vote, as the opposition parties passed it unilaterally.
On the afternoon of the 6th, the National Assembly held a plenary session and put to a vote the "Consent to designate as a fast-track agenda item the bill concerning the appointment of a special prosecutor for the investigation into obstruction of investigation and concealment of the death of a Marine who died in the line of duty." As a result, out of 183 members present, the bill was passed with 182 votes in favor and 1 against.
The requirement for designating a fast-track agenda item is three-fifths of the total members (298 members), which is 179 members, according to Article 85-2 of the National Assembly Act. The Democratic Party currently holds 168 seats, and when combined with the Justice Party (6 seats), Progressive Party (1 seat), and others, they secure 179 seats.
Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is attending the plenary session held at the National Assembly on the 6th and taking a commemorative photo with the members of the assembly. 2023.10.6 [Image source=Yonhap News]
However, since there was a possibility of dissenting votes, Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, also attended the plenary session. Due to car repair issues, Lee took a taxi to the National Assembly and, leaning on a cane, participated in the vote on the special prosecutor law fast-track agenda. Earlier that morning, Lee had left the hospital to attend a trial related to the Daejang-dong and Wirye New Town preferential treatment allegations at the Seoul Central District Court, then visited the National Assembly for the vote. He was seen smiling and taking photos with Democratic Party lawmakers, creating a warm atmosphere. After participating only in the vote, Lee returned to the hospital. He is currently hospitalized at Green Hospital in Jungnang-gu, Seoul, after being transferred there during his hunger strike.
The People Power Party, following the rejection of the nomination of Lee Kyun-yong for Chief Justice of the Supreme Court earlier that day, protested by leaving the plenary hall as soon as Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Byung-joo began explaining the proposal for the vote to designate the special prosecutor law as a fast-track agenda item related to Corporal Chae's death case.
On the 6th, during the plenary session held at the National Assembly, members of the People Power Party attached a phrase urging the Democratic Party to apologize regarding the rejection of the appointment consent bill for Chief Justice Lee Yong-gyun. 2023.10.6 [Image source=Yonhap News]
The special prosecutor law designated as a fast-track agenda item centers on appointing a special prosecutor to investigate allegations of obstruction and concealment by the Presidential Office and the Ministry of National Defense regarding the death of Corporal Chae, who died in the line of duty after being swept away by a rapid current during a search operation amid heavy rains in Yecheon-gun, Gyeongbuk Province, last July. The special prosecutor will be selected by the President from one candidate chosen by the Democratic Party from four candidates recommended by the Korean Bar Association. Once designated as a fast-track agenda item, the bill undergoes a maximum 180-day review by the relevant standing committee and a 60-day deliberation period in the plenary session before being automatically submitted to the plenary session.
Meanwhile, the "Yellow Envelope Act" (amendments to Articles 2 and 3 of the Labor Union Act) and the "Broadcasting Three Acts," which were scheduled to be presented that day, were postponed. Although the Democratic Party submitted a motion to change the agenda before the plenary session to request the submission of the amendments, Deputy Speaker Kim Young-joo announced that the vote would not be held, citing Speaker Kim Jin-pyo's overseas trip as the reason.
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