Seoul, Feb 11 (IANS): Six opposition parties proposed a special counsel bill on Tuesday to investigate allegations against impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's influence-peddling scandal linked to the parliamentary by-elections in 2022.
The scandal involves allegations Myung Tae-kyun, a self-proclaimed power broker, took approximately 76 million won ($54,400) from former ruling party lawmaker Rep. Kim Young-sun in exchange for his help in getting her nominated for the 2022 parliamentary by-elections.
Myung allegedly won Kim Young-sun's nomination in exchange for conducting public opinion polls favourable to Yoon ahead of the 2022 presidential election.
If approved, the special counsel will investigate allegations Yoon and first lady Kim Keon Hee were involved in the nomination process of the 2022 local elections and by-elections, as well as parliamentary elections last year.
Opposition parties also suspect that the Changwon District Prosecutors Office, currently investigating Myung, is deliberately delaying its probe into Yoon, and will look for possible interference by authorities at the Supreme Prosecutors Office and the presidential office of the senior secretary for civil affairs, Yonhap news agency reported.
Meanwhile, a South Korean court hearing to determine whether to cancel the detention of impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol will be held next week, sources said.
The Seoul Central District Court has scheduled the hearing for February 20 to review a request by Yoon to cancel his detention and release him.
The hearing will take place simultaneously with the first preparatory hearing for his criminal trial connected to his botched imposition of martial law. It remains unknown whether Yoon will attend in person.
Yoon was indicted January 26 on charges of leading an insurrection through his short-lived imposition of martial law on December 3. He has been held at the Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, south of the capital, since investigators detained him at his official residence on January 15.