Lawmakers in South Korea on Thursday passed a bill to set up a special independent counsel to probe the widening scandal after opposition parties said they were dissatisfied with the existing investigation.
Under the agreement, opposition parties will recommend a special prosecutor to lead the counsel, which will consist of more than 60 prosecutors and investigators.
The team will be given 120 days to look into allegations against Choi and the presidential aides mired in the scandal.
The scandal centres on Park's shadowy confidant Choi Soon-Sil, who is accused of using her ties with the president to coerce local firms to donate millions of dollars to non-profit foundations that Choi then used for personal gain.
Today, we will discuss this issue with Korean political commentator J. S. Seo.
Click the Podcast icon above to listen in this story in Korean.
