Photo : YONHAP News
The main opposition Democratic Party(DP) and five other opposition parties have called on the ruling camp to support the passage of a bill early next month seeking a special counsel probe into the death of Corporal Chae Su-geun of the Marine Corps.
The DP, the Justice Party, the New Future Party, New Reform Party, the Progressive Party and the Rebuilding Korea Party made the call on Friday in a joint news conference held together with a regiment of Marine reserve forces at the National Assembly.
The latest call came as the DP earlier disclosed intent to pass the bill during a plenary session slated to open on May 2.
The DP-proposed bill, which has been designated to be fast-tracked through parliament, was automatically submitted to the plenary on April 3.
Rep. Kang Sung-hee of the Progressive Party said if the bill is scrapped, even after being passed in parliament, because President Yoon Suk Yeol again exercises his right to veto a bill, efforts must be made to seek the president’s impeachment as rejecting the bill would be defying the public sentiment demonstrated through the general elections.
Corporal Chae was swept away by a torrent during a search and rescue operation for flood victims in July of last year and the alleged interference by then Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup in a military investigation into the case sparked public criticism.