Park approves independent probe into scandal

South Korea’s cabinet Tuesday nodded to a bill allowing the opposition party to pick up candidates for an independent counsel to investigate the snowballing political scandal surrounding President Park Geun- hye and her confidante Choi Soon- sil, Yonhap reported Tuesday.

The approval came after the bill was passed last week by the National Assembly upon a consensus reached by parliament’s legislation and judiciary committee which agreed to allow the opposition parties to recom- mend candidates.

The presidential spokesperson Tuesday said Park has given the final approval to the bill despite concerns that the endorsement announced at the Cabinet meeting wouldn’t be accepted, said Yonhap.

Park later signed the bill into law to be effective since Tuesday.

Park has not been attending Cabinet meetings for six consecutive weeks after facing the biggest crisis of her political career, the agency said.

The scandal enters on Park’s shad- owy confidant Choi Soon- sil, who is accused of using her ties with the president to coerce local firm scandals to donate millions of dollars to non- profit foundations that Choi then used for personal gain.

The independent counsel will have 20 days to make preparations for the investigation, followed by 70 days to complete the probe. Upon approval from the president, the period can be extended by 30 days, said the report.