South Korea’s main opposition party urges new PPP leader to cooperate in passing special probe bill on Marine’s death

Seoul, July 24 (IANS) The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) of South Korea on Wednesday urged the newly elected ruling party leader to show his commitment to the public by endorsing a controversial bill mandating a special counsel probe into the military’s response to a Marine’s death last year.”Leader Han (Dong-hoon) said he will stand with the public at a press briefing after he was elected,” DP floor leader Park Chan-dae said during a Supreme Council meeting, stressing that the public “overwhelmingly wants to pass the special counsel probe bill.”He called on Han, elected leader of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) on Tuesday, to choose to vote in favor of the bill as the party’s official stance, Yonhap news agency reported.The DP has been seeking to pass a bill that calls for a special counsel to look into allegations that the presidential office and the defence ministry inappropriately interfered in the Marines’ investigation into Cpl. Chae, who was killed during a search mission for victims of heavy downpours in July 2023.Speaking to reporters at the National Assembly, Han reaffirmed his position on the bill “remains unchanged.””We are a party that respects the democratic process, and we will explain (our stance) through such democratic process of our party,” he said.Declaring his bid for the PPP chief last month, Han said he will push for a new bill that calls for a special counsel chosen by a “third party” to investigate the case to ensure more fairness.The DP-led bill had initially passed through the previous National Assembly but was scrapped in a revote after President Yoon Suk Yeol vetoed it. The DP proposed a similar bill after the new National Assembly came into office in late May.–IANSint/rs/svn