[News Today] BILL ON MARINE DEATH VOTED DOWN

[LEAD]
The 'Marine Special Counsel Act', a proposal to probe a marine soldiers death, was once again rejected in a National Assembly vote held yesterday. The bill has now failed twice. Despite so, the Democratic Party and other opposition members have declared their intention to reintroduce the bill.


[REPORT]
The two opposing sides confronted each other right before the plenary session where the re-voting of the special counsel bill to probe a marine's death was to take place.

The ruling and opposition parties were clearly at odds even inside the hall.

Kwak Kyu-taek/ People Power Party
It's clear that the bill was only a preparation to make former DP chair Lee Jae-myung, someone they deem as their father, into president.

Kim Seung-won/ Democratic Party
The bill makes an obvious but clear point to public officials and those in power, ‘Anyone who fails to bear responsibility or repeatedly lie will be punished’.

The bill was voted down.

Woo Won-shik / National Assembly speaker
I declare the bill rejected.

The bill was scrapped after failing to win votes from two-thirds of attending legislators.

The six parties in the opposition side held a protest and announced that they will re-table the motion right away.

Hwang Un-ha/ Floor Leader, Rebuilding Korea Party
Refusing special counsel is clear reason for impeachment. They will regret not having approved the motion.

It will be interesting to see if a plan to have a third party recommend a special counsel would be discussed. People Power Party chief Han Dong-hoon, who had proposed this plan, emphasized party unity.

Han Dong-hoon / Chair, People Power Party
Let's show them what a capable party we are, how strongly we can unite to block shallow schemes. The PPP will stop a faulty bill from being approved.

But the Democratic Party continued its offense by bringing up the possibility of establishing a permanent special counsel if the special counsel bill falls through.