A new special counsel team is officially launched to investigate remaining suspicions surrounding ousted South Korea’s Yoon Suk Yeol
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GWACHEON — A new special counsel team officially launched on Wednesday to investigate remaining suspicions surrounding ousted former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, his failed martial law bid and allegations involving his wife.
Special counsel Kwon Chang-young has been tasked with reopening investigations into insurrection charges stemming from Yoon's failed martial law bid, along with corruption allegations tied to former first lady Kim Keon Hee and the 2023 death of a Marine.
Last month, the National Assembly passed a new special counsel bill after three special probes ended without fully addressing 17 major allegations, such as suspected planning made ahead of Yoon's martial law declaration on December 3, 2024.
"While the three special counsels produced many results since their launch, the second special counsel has been established reflecting the public's belief that there have been shortcomings," Kwon said in a briefing.
Specifically, the new team is expected to investigate alleged attempts under Yoon's administration to induce North Korea's provocation by staging armed helicopter flights near the inter-Korean border, as well as the former first lady's suspected meddling of state affairs.
The team recently received investigation records and indictments filed by the three special counsel teams, Yonhap news agency reported.
Kwon's investigation mandate, which lasts for at least 90 days, can be extended twice to run up to 170 days, including a 20-day preparatory period.
Yoon has been sentenced to life imprisonment after one of the three previous special counsels indicted him on charges of leading an insurrection through his failed martial law bid.
Earlier on Tuesday, Yoon Suk Yeol had appealed his life sentence over his insurrection conviction from his failed bid to impose martial law.
The appeal was filed by his lawyers five days after a court sentenced Yoon to life in prison for leading an insurrection when he briefly imposed martial law on December 3, 2024.
"We think we have a responsibility to clearly point out the problems with this decision for not only court records but for future historical records," the lawyers had said in a notice to the press.
"We will not be silent about the special counsel's overzealous indictment and the contradictory decision of the court of first instance premised on it, as well as its political background," they added.