Parties agree on special prosecutor to probe election failures

South Korea's two main political parties, the Democratic Party and the People Power Party, have reached an agreement to process a special prosecutor bill aimed at investigating failures in the election management commission's handling of the 9th National Simultaneous Local Elections. The agreement paves the way for the bill's passage during the extraordinary parliamentary session in July.

The key point of contention, the appointment of the special prosecutor, will be addressed through the establishment of a 'National Recommendation Committee.' This committee will comprise three members nominated by each party, totaling six individuals. The committee will then receive recommendations from the Korean Bar Association and the Conference of Korean Law Schools, selecting two candidates to present to the President. The President will then appoint one of these two as the special prosecutor.

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We have agreed to process the bill for the appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate the truth behind the ballot paper shortage and other election management failures during the 9th National Simultaneous Local Elections within the July extraordinary parliamentary session.

Discussions regarding the scope and duration of the investigation, as well as other procedural details, will be determined through further bipartisan agreement. This compromise comes after previous disagreements, with the People Power Party advocating for the opposition's nomination and the Democratic Party pushing for a third-party nomination.

In a related development, the National Assembly concluded a filibuster initiated by the People Power Party and unanimously passed an amendment to the 'Special Prosecutor Act for the Investigation of Truth Regarding Yoon Suk-yeol and Kim Keon-hee's Treason and State Misconduct.' This amendment allows for an extended investigation period of up to 60 days. However, members of the People Power Party and the Reform Party abstained from the vote.

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We have agreed to form a National Recommendation Committee to appoint the special prosecutor. The committee will consist of six members, with three recommended by each floor leader.