Lee Jae-myung (center), leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, and other party leaders look on with serious expressions as some People Power Party lawmakers leave the chamber after voting on a re-vote of a special investigation bill concerning allegations against First Lady Kim Keon-hee, including stock manipulation, during a plenary session at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on Dec. 7, 2024. /Newsis

A special investigation bill targeting First Lady Kim Keon-hee failed to pass a re-vote in the National Assembly on Dec. 7, with 198 lawmakers voting in favor and 102 against, falling short of the two-thirds majority required to override President Yoon Suk-yeol’s veto.

The bill, which sought to launch an independent probe into allegations surrounding the first lady, faced strong opposition from the ruling People Power Party (PPP). All 300 lawmakers participated in the secret written ballot, but the results confirmed the PPP’s strategy to block the bill’s passage.