The Cabinet passed a motion on Monday demanding that the opposition-led National Assembly reconsider three contentious bills, including the one that mandates a special counsel investigation into several allegations against first lady Kim Keon Hee. The motion was passed during a morning Cabinet meeting presided over by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, 11 days after the parliament passed the bills pushed through by the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea amid a ruling party boycott. "We will deal with such unconstitutional and conflict-inducing bills that do not seek to find the truth within a case, but merely a repeated exercise of veto power (from the president) with no compromise and (decisions) based on law and principles, as it is the government's responsibility to protect the Constitution and handle state affairs," Prime Minister Han said at the meeting.
Yoon was widely expected to veto all three bills. The special counsel probe bill into the first lady passed by the Assembly on Sept. 19 is an updated version of the one vetoed by President Yoon Suk Yeol in January.
The previous version focused on appointing a special counsel to investigate the first lady's alleged involvement in a stock manipulation scheme involving Deutsch Motors, a BMW car dealer in Korea, which goes back to 2009 and 2012, while the latest bill added several other allegations, including that Kim illegally interfered in the ruling party People Power Party's candidate nominations ahead of the April 10 g.