[News Today] TREASON PROBE BILL PASSES COMMITTEE

[LEAD]
Just four days after its introduction, the opposition's bill for a special counsel to investigate charges of insurrection and threats to national security has cleared the Legislation and Judiciary Committee with opposition votes alone.
The bill sparked a clash between the parties. The ruling party voiced strong objections, citing concerns over national security threats.

[REPORT]
An opposition-led bill calling for a special counsel probe into alleged treason has passed the parliamentary legislation and judiciary committee.

It states that the candidate for the special counsel should be recommended by a third party, the Supreme Court chief justice.

The Criminal Procedure Act also won't apply when a search is conducted at a location relating to military secrets, which would otherwise require approval of the official in charge.

In addition to insurrection, the charge of inducing threat to national security has been added to the latest bill which accuses the president of trying to incite war by flying drones to Pyongyang and targeting the origin of North Korean trash balloons.

Park Beom-kye / Legislation & Judiciary Committee(DP)
Yoon Suk Yeol's idea was to impose martial law and carry out an insurrection to
maintain his power even by waging a war. Why can't this be investigated, why?

The ruling party didn't take part in the vote, arguing the bill ignores the current security situation.

Song Seog-jun / Legislation & Judiciary Committee(PPP)
The bill, which views an act meant to guarantee national security as having the opposite aim, lacks justification.

The acting justice minister acknowledged the part about special counsel recommendation is an improvement from before but expressed concern over the added charge regarding national security.

Kim Seok-woo / Acting Justice Minister
I believe the implementation could potentially undermine national security.

Meanwhile, the National Court Administration offered a solution to the ongoing dispute over investigative powers.

Chun Dae-yup / Head, Nat'l Court Administration
One way to completely resolve the dispute is conducting an investigation from square one through a special probe bill.

The Democratic Party plans to handle the special counsel bill passed by the committee during Thursday's plenary session.