Photo : YONHAP News
National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik urged President Yoon Suk Yeol to accept a special counsel investigation into allegations surrounding first lady Kim Keon-hee, saying it is in the public interest to resolve the situation promptly.
At a debate hosted by the Korea Broadcasting Journalists Club on Wednesday, Woo said the allegations are expanding in scope, making it difficult for parliament to neglect the matter.
Stressing that no past president had refused an investigation when they or their families faced allegations, the speaker said Yoon will have difficulty handling state affairs unless he accepts the special counsel bill, which recently passed in the opposition-strong parliament.
Responding to a recent decision from the prosecution’s investigation review committee, which recommended the indictment of Korean American pastor Choi Jae-young, who gave Kim a luxury bag in 2022, Woo said the public would not understand why the panel recommended indictment for Choi but not for the first lady.
On the ongoing dispute over health care reform, the speaker urged the administration to prioritize public health and safety rather than a power struggle with the medical community.