South Korea’s liberal-led legislature passes bills calling for special probes into Yoon and wife

South Korea passes bills for special investigations into former President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law and wife's criminal allegations.

South Korea’s liberal-led legislature on Thursday (June 5, 2025) passed bills to launch special investigations into former President Yoon Suk-yeol’s short-lived imposition of martial law in December and criminal allegations against his wife, targeting the ousted conservative a day after his liberal successor took office.

The bills previously were vetoed by Mr. Yoon and South Korea’s caretaker government after his December 14 impeachment over the martial law debacle.

They are expected to be signed by new President Lee Jae-myung, a Democrat who won (June 3, 2025) Tuesday’s snap election triggered by Mr. Yoon’s formal removal from office in April.

Many members of the conservative People Power Party refused to participate in the votes, which took place after one of the party’s lawmakers accused the liberals in a speech of being driven by vendetta.

Mr. Lee, who as an Opposition leader drove the legislative efforts to impeach and oust Mr. Yoon, pinned his presidential campaign on unity, promising not to target conservatives and calling for an end to political polarisation.

Yet Mr. Lee has vowed a full investigation into Mr. Yoon’s martial law stunt and the allegations surrounding his wife, moves that could overshadow the new government and inflame tensions as Mr. Yoon faces a high-stakes rebellion trial carrying a possible death sentence.

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office indicted Mr. Yoon in January over his December 3 martial law decree, charging him with masterminding a rebellion and describing his power grab as an illegal bid to seize the legislature and election offices and arrest political opponents.