The National Assembly on Monday passed the government’s 3.83 trillion won ($3.54 billion) supplementary budget bill and a proposal to conduct a special counsel probe into an opinion-rigging scandal, after a monthslong deadlock.

Motions for the arrest of two opposition lawmakers, suspected of embezzlement and abuse of power, were voted down during the plenary session.

On Sunday, rival parties agreed to end the standoff that had lasted almost two months. The ruling Democratic Party of Korea accepted opposition parties’ demand for a special counsel probe into the “Druking” scandal, while the opposition Liberty Korea Party agreed to vote for the president’s extra budget proposal.

The expected special counsel probe will be the Moon Jae-in administration’s first, and the 13th in the country’s history. The independent counsel will be appointed by the president to lead a probe team of 86 members, including three assistant independent counsels and 13 prosecutors.

The opinion-rigging scandal broke in early March when a power blogger nicknamed “Druking” was alleged to have masterminded an illegal online campaign to manipulate and sway public opinion for the liberal Democratic Party and President Moon. Former lawmaker Kim Kyoung-soo of the Democratic Party has been accused of having ties with the blogger. He is currently running as a gubernatorial candidate for South Gyeongsang Province in the June 13 local elections.

The special counsel probe will be given 20 days of preparation time and up to 90 days for inquiry. It is expected to be launched after the local elections.

Lawmakers also passed the supplementary budget bill, 45 days after the government submitted the bill to the parliament.

The extra budget bill seeks to boost youth employment and support regional governments to revive local economies that are struggling from restructuring in the shipbuilding and the automaking sectors.

Meanwhile, the proposal to arrest Reps. Hong Moon-jong and Yeom Dong-yeol of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party was voted down.

Rep. Hong is suspected of embezzling an operating fund of 7 billion won from a private school foundation, while Rep. Yeom is accused of abusing his power in an illicit hiring scandal involving Kangwon Land Casino, which is located in his constituency.

Prosecutors also sought an arrest warrant for the conservative opposition’s three-term lawmaker Rep. Kweon Seong-dong, but this has not been submitted to the parliament yet.

Korean law requires approval from the National Assembly to arrest incumbent lawmakers while the National Assembly is in session.

By Jo He-rim (herim@heraldcorp.com)