South Korea's Cabinet on Tuesday approved a bill that would allow the opposition parties to pick candidates for an independent counsel to investigate the influence-peddling scandal surrounding President Park Geun-hye and her confidante Choi Soon-sil.
The nod came around a week after the bill was passed by the National Assembly, after parliament's legislation and judiciary committee agreed to allow the opposition parties to recommend candidates.
The endorsement was announced at the Cabinet meeting presided over by Yoo Il-ho, deputy prime minister for economic affairs. Park has not been attending Cabinet meetings for six consecutive weeks after facing the biggest crisis of her political career.
The bill still needs to be signed by the president, although observers said she is likely to do so.
On Sunday, prosecutors booked Park as an "accomplice" in the criminal case surrounding Choi and key former aides. Park's attorney claimed it cannot concede the results, denying all allegations and questioning the fairness and credibility of the probe. The presidential office also hinted that the probe was politically biased.
