Lawmakers are closer to forming an independent counsel to probe the Choi Soon-sil scandal.
The National Assembly passed a bipartisan bill Thursday that paves the way for the president to select and appoint one of two independent counsel candidates recommended by South Korea's political opposition.
The bill would assemble a team of record size --- 105 officials in total, including the independent counsel, four assistant counsels, 20 prosecutors and 40 investigators.
The presidential office Cheong Wa Dae could sign off on the bill as early as Tuesday, setting in motion a 90-day investigation into the scandal.
A central task of the independent counsel would be to decide whether to seek indictments related to the affair.
Source: KBS World Radio
