Overview

• On June 5, the National Assembly passed three special counsel bills enabling probes into Yoon Suk Yeol’s Dec. 3 martial law declaration, stock manipulation allegations and the Marine Corps Corporal Chae case.
• The martial law special counsel will examine 11 charges, including rebellion, treason and an alleged North Korea drone provocation linked to Yoon’s emergency order.
• The Kim Keon Hee special counsel covers 16 allegations from the Deutsche Motors stock manipulation inquiry to illicit candidate nomination influence via associates and religious figures.
• The Corporal Chae special counsel will investigate whether officials suppressed evidence or lobbied to protect commanders in the Marine’s unexplained death.
• Exclusive nomination rights for the special counsels by the Democratic Party and its ally and the deployment of 120 prosecutors—nearly half of Seoul Central District’s staff—have raised concerns over investigative neutrality.