Chae Sang-byeong Special Prosecutor Act Rejected in National Assembly Re-Vote

The "Chae Sang-byeong Special Prosecutor Act" faced a dramatic rejection: 179 votes in favor, 111 against, and 4 invalid. This act, which President Yoon Seok-yeol had vetoed, was put to a re-vote in the National Assembly on the 28th, only to be turned down once more.

During this afternoon's plenary session, out of 294 participants, the re-vote on the Corporal Chae Special Prosecution Act concluded with its rejection. The tally was 179 in favor, 111 against, and 4 invalid. For a vetoed bill to pass again, a majority of the registered members must be present, and it requires the consent of at least two-thirds of those present. However, this re-vote fell short by 17 votes. Notably, Rep. Yoon Kwan-seok, currently detained, and Rep. Lee Su-jin (Seoul Dongjak-eul) were absent.

The Democratic Party of Korea had initially anticipated a different outcome. They expected 17 defections from the People Power Party, assuming a full attendance of 295 members and complete agreement from all 180 opposition and independent lawmakers. Within the People Power Party, until today, lawmakers Ahn Cheol-soo, Yu Ui-dong, Kim Woong, Choi Jae-hyung, and Kim Geun-tae had publicly endorsed the special prosecution bill. Furthermore, Democratic Party lawmaker Park Joo-min suggested that up to 9 ruling party lawmakers, including those he had personally contacted, might break ranks and vote in favor of the bill.

Yet, despite these expectations and public declarations of support from some lawmakers, the bill did not garner the necessary votes. The political maneuvering and assumptions of defections fell short, leading to the bill’s rejection. The absence of key lawmakers, combined with the insufficient number of defection votes, sealed the fate of the Corporal Chae Special Prosecutor Act in this highly anticipated re-vote.