#special counsel

South Korea's rival political parties have reached a surprise agreement to appoint a special counsel to investigate a major scandal involving the Unification Church. The probe follows public pressure and could implicate high-profile figures from both parties.

South Korea's ruling and opposition parties have agreed to launch a special counsel investigation into bribery allegations involving the Unification Church and politicians on both sides, signaling a rare moment of unity to tackle a growing political scandal.

Lee Jun-seok, a South Korean opposition leader, was questioned for nearly 10 hours on Dec. 21 by a special counsel over allegations of election meddling tied to former first lady Kim Keon Hee and former President Yoon Suk Yeol.