South Korea's National Assembly on Tuesday launched a special committee to look into insurrection allegations related to President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived imposition of martial law on Dec. 3.
The plan for the special committee-led probe won parliamentary approval in a 191-71 vote.
The parliament approved the 45-day special committee-led investigation into state administration at its plenary session Friday, following an agreement among the rival parties. The probe is to last until Feb. 13, and can be extended by parliament.
The special committee is empowered to hold public hearings to question individuals and organizations allegedly involved in the martial law declaration that was lifted in just six hours after parliament passed a resolution to nullify it on Dec. 4. The committee may also call witnesses to testify.
Through parliamentary inquiries, the committee will consider whether Yoon's martial law declaration or the administration's martial law conspiracy should be deemed lawful or not. Also, the investigation will revolve around the decision to deploy armed forces to the National Assembly, allegedly to deter lawmakers from voting in favor of the resolution to nullify martial law.
The committee aims to investigate the presidential office, the police, the nation's spy agency, the prosecution and several government ministries, including the Office for Government Policy Coordination and the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
Rep. Ahn Gyu-back of the main opposition Democratic Party leads the committee. Rep. Kim Sung-won of the ruling People Power Party and Rep. Han Byung-do of the Democratic Party serve as the committee secretaries representing the rival parties.
