Resolution on Prime Minister's Veto Proposal at Cabinet Meeting
Prime Minister Han: "Potential Violation of Constitutional Separation of Powers"
Returning to National Assembly for Re-deliberation Process
President Yoon Suk-yeol plans to exercise his veto power on the "Special Prosecutor Appointment Act for the Investigation of Obstruction and Concealment of Facts in the Case of the Fallen Marine (Special Prosecutor Act for Chae Sang-byeong)." This will be the 10th time President Yoon has exercised his veto power since taking office.
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo approved the proposal to recommend the veto of the Special Prosecutor Act for Chae Sang-byeong during the Cabinet meeting held at the Government Seoul Office on the morning of the 21st. Prime Minister Han stated, "This special prosecutor bill has many issues in terms of the approval process and the method of recommending the special prosecutor." He added, "Procedurally, it was forcibly passed solely by the opposition party, and substantively, the right to recommend the special prosecutor candidates was monopolized by the opposition party, infringing on the president's appointment authority. This has a high possibility of violating the constitutional principle of 'separation of powers.'"
If President Yoon approves the request for reconsideration, the Special Prosecutor Act for Chae Sang-byeong will return to the National Assembly for a reconsideration vote. The deadline for President Yoon to exercise his veto is the 22nd. The Presidential Office stated that the Special Prosecutor Act, strongly pushed by the opposition party, does not align with the spirit of the Constitution or the purpose of the special prosecutor law, reiterating their stance of "investigation first, special prosecutor later." The Presidential Office views the issue as highly significant, given that the opposition is strongly pressuring for acceptance of the special prosecutor law and that cooperation with the opposition has become important after the April 10 general election defeat. It is reported that a separate briefing will be held in the afternoon to thoroughly explain the background of the veto exercise.
Earlier, at a press conference on the 9th, President Yoon said, "Once all procedures are completed, the investigative authorities will provide a detailed explanation of the investigation progress and results to the public. If the public then suspects leniency or finds it unacceptable, I will be the first to call for a special prosecutor." The Special Prosecutor Act for Chae Sang-byeong was passed solely by the opposition party, including the Democratic Party of Korea, in the National Assembly plenary session on the 2nd and was sent to the government on the 7th. The opposition party is expected to proceed with the reconsideration vote in the plenary session on the 28th.
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