What’s at Stake? Key Events Under Scrutiny in the Yoon Suk-yeol Administration Investigation

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A plan to launch a parliamentary probe into allegations that prosecutors under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration manufactured indictments was brought before the National Assembly plenary session on March 21.

The People Power Party said it would join the special committee to prevent the ruling party from steamrolling the process, but insisted it could not accept the probe’s legitimacy and launched a filibuster (unlimited debate).

That afternoon, the National Assembly approved a motion to change the agenda so the ruling Democratic Party could place the probe plan on the docket. The plan was then introduced, and the People Power Party immediately began a filibuster. At about 4:43 p.m., the Democrats responded by filing a motion to end the unlimited debate.

Under rules allowing a filibuster to be ended after 24 hours by a three-fifths majority of all members, the probe plan is expected to pass shortly after the filibuster concludes on the afternoon of March 22.

The investigation will review the prosecution’s decisions to investigate and indict in seven cases: allegations of corruption in the Daejang-dong development; alleged corruption in the Wirye new-town development; suspected bribery involving former Democratic Research Institute deputy director Kim Yong; the Ssangbangwool alleged North Korea remittance case; alleged manipulation of real estate and other statistics; the West Sea civil servant shooting incident; and allegations of false reporting that defamed former President Yoon Suk Yeol.

Earlier, the “Special Committee to Investigate Alleged Fabricated Indictments by Political Prosecutors under the Yoon Suk Yeol Administration” approved the probe plan at a full meeting on March 20, led by the ruling party. The People Power Party did not participate in the vote.

The probe will include agency reports, on-site investigations, and hearings, and is scheduled to conclude by May 8. Lawmakers said they would seek a plenary vote to extend the deadline if necessary.

Courts named as subjects of the investigation include the Supreme Court; the Seoul High Court; the Suwon High Court; the Seoul Central District Court; the Suwon District Court; and the Seongnam branch of the Suwon District Court.

Prosecutorial and investigative bodies listed for scrutiny include the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office; the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office; the Suwon High Prosecutors’ Office; the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office; the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office; the Suwon District Prosecutors’ Office and its Seongnam branch; the Daejeon District Prosecutors’ Office; the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials; and the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency.

The People Power Party argues the probe is unconstitutional, saying it violates Article 8 of the Act on Audit and Inspection, which prohibits audits or investigations that invade individuals’ private lives or interfere with ongoing trials or investigations for the purpose of influencing prosecutions.

Kim Ye-ji of the People Power Party launched the first filibuster.

Park Seong-hoon, the People Power Party’s chief spokesman, told reporters at the National Assembly that the party chose to participate to oppose what it sees as the Democratic Party’s tactic of using force to pressure legitimate prosecutions. He added that, had they not participated, prosecutors acting within the law would inevitably suffer from what he described as political agitation and one-sided attacks by the Democrats and the Lee Jae-myung administration.