South Korea’s National Assembly voted Saturday to reject a bill calling for a special lawyer to investigate corruption allegations involving First Lady Kim Keon-hee, Yonhap reported.
The bill, which was put up for a re-vote after President Yoon Suk-yeol vetoed it last month, failed to pass by just two votes, with 198 votes in favor and 102 against.
Overriding a presidential veto requires more than two-thirds support, or at least 200 votes, in the 300-member National Assembly.
Six lawmakers from the 108-seat ruling People’s Power Party appeared to break their party line to vote against the bill.
The bill calls for a special lawyer to be appointed to investigate two key allegations involving the First Lady – her alleged involvement in a stock manipulation scheme and her interference in the election nomination process through an intermediary.
The scope of the proposed investigation has been scaled back from two previous versions of the bill, which Yoon vetoed and were then rejected in a second vote in the National Assembly.
The latest bill also calls for the Supreme Court chief justice to recommend a special counsel, with opposition parties able to demand a new recommendation if the proposed candidate is found unsuitable.