DP renews call for special counsel probe into stock manipulation case allegedly involving first lady

▲ A file photo of a meeting of the main opposition Democratic Party's taskforce on alleged stock manipulation case involving first lady Kim Keon Hee held at the National Assembly in western Seoul on Feb. 1, 2023. (Yonhap)

main opposition-special counsel probe

DP renews call for special counsel probe into stock manipulation case allegedly involving first lady

SEOUL, Feb. 10 (Yonhap) -- The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) on Friday renewed its call for a special counsel probe into a stock manipulation case allegedly involving first lady Kim Keon Hee after the key culprit in the case was found guilty.

DP spokesperson An Ho-young said in a statement that President Yoon Suk Yeol and the ruling party should accept the special probe request into the first lady's alleged involvement in stock manipulation "if they want to talk about the rule of law."

The statement came after Kwon Oh-soo, the former head of Deutsch Motors Inc., a BMW car dealer in South Korea, was sentenced to a suspended two-year prison term for manipulating the company's stock prices.

The case has drawn wide attention due to allegations of the first lady's involvement.

The DP spokesperson accused the prosecution of having no will or power to properly investigate the first lady and claimed an independent counsel probe is the "only way."

The first lady should now face investigation as an "accomplice" in a proven stock manipulation case, the spokesperson said, noting her name was mentioned about 300 times during Kwon's trial.

The DP has already tabled a bill calling for independent probe into Kim's alleged involvement in the case last year.

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