Seoul, Jan 16 (NationPress) The National Assembly of South Korea, under the leadership of the ruling Democratic Party (DP), successfully passed a bill on Friday to initiate a new special counsel investigation regarding the former president, Yoon Suk Yeol, focusing on the imposition of martial law and its consequences, alongside allegations involving his wife.

During a plenary session, lawmakers voted with a count of 172 in favor and only two against, following the conclusion of an opposition filibuster that lasted 24 hours.

This new legislation aims to revisit inquiries into alleged insurrection charges tied to Yoon's unsuccessful martial law attempt, along with corruption claims against former first lady Kim Keon Hee and the 2023 death of a Marine, encompassing 17 allegations that were previously overlooked by three prior counsels.

The decision is expected to heighten bipartisan tensions as local elections approach in June, with the People Power Party (PPP) condemning the DP's initiative as politically driven, while the DP urges an end to the fallout from Yoon's martial law.

PPP leader Jang Dong-hyeok initiated a hunger strike shortly after Thursday's plenary session commenced, demanding that the DP acknowledge opposition-supported special probe bills concerning an alleged bribery scandal linked to the Unification Church.

Earlier, former President Yoon Suk Yeol received a five-year prison sentence on charges that included obstructing investigators attempting to detain him last year.

The Seoul Central District Court issued the ruling as the first verdict pertaining to charges arising from Yoon's brief martial law declaration in December 2024.

The sentence was less than what special counsel Cho Eun-suk's team had sought, which characterized Yoon's actions as a 'serious crime' aimed at 'privatizing' state institutions to obscure and rationalize his illicit acts, as reported by the Yonhap News Agency.

During the televised hearing, Judge Baek Dae-hyun outlined the charges against Yoon and the court's judgment on each count.

Yoon was accused of directing the Presidential Security Service to impede investigators from executing a detention warrant in January last year, infringing on nine Cabinet members' rights who were excluded from a meeting to discuss his martial law proposal, and drafting and subsequently destroying a revised proclamation after lifting the martial law decree.

Additionally, he faced charges for distributing false press statements regarding the declaration and deleting records from secure phones used by military commanders at the time.

The judge determined Yoon was guilty of nearly all counts, except concerning the rights of two Cabinet members and the order to disseminate misleading press statements.

Despite the serious nature of the offenses, the judge noted that Yoon displayed no remorse.

The court affirmed the authority of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials in conducting investigations and issuing detention warrants for the former president last year.

This ruling is anticipated to influence the forthcoming verdict regarding the insurrection charges related to Yoon's brief decree, with special prosecutors advocating for the death penalty earlier this week. The court is scheduled to deliver its ruling on February 19.

Yoon is currently facing a total of eight trials concerning his martial law attempt, his wife's alleged corruption, and the 2023 Marine death.

This marks the third instance where a former president's trial proceedings were broadcast live, following similar events for former Presidents Park Geun-hye and Lee Myung-bak in their respective corruption cases in 2018.