Acting President Hwang Kyo - ahn chairs a trade and investment promotion meeting at the Seoul Government Complex on Monday . ( Yonhap ) Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo - ahn said Monday that he would not extend the outgoing special investigation into President Park Geun - hye ‘ s corruption allegations . Opposition parties , which have been striving to prolong the investigation until after the court ’ s impeachment ruling , vowed to have Hwang impeached as well , defining him as an “ accomplice ” to the suspended president ’ s wrongdoings . “ After long consideration on the given request , ( acting President Hwang ) has decided not to extend the mandate for the independent counsel investigation , ” Hong Kwon - hee , public affairs chief of the prime minister ’ s office , said at a news conference . The announcement came shortly after the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea ’ s floor leader Rep . Woo Sang - ho told the press that he had received such notice from the acting president ’ s office . It also came just a day before the team led by independent counsel Park Young - soo is to close down its 70 - day investigation and hand the results over to state prosecutors . Under the Independent Counsel Act , the special team is to last for 70 days and may be extended by an extra month upon the approval of the president , or the acting president , in this case . As reasons not to extend the investigation , Hwang cited the achievements so far made by the special prosecutors , claiming that the independent counsel team had already “ accomplished its purpose . ” “ The special investigation team has indicted or sufficiently investigated ( presidential confidante ) Choi Soon - sil and other key suspects as defined by the related law , ” Hong said . Issues requiring further investigation are to be handed over to state prosecutors or , if necessary , to a new separate independent counsel , he added . “ It is regretful that the acting President Hwang did not agree to extend the investigation while several issues yet remain unsolved , ” said Lee Kyu - chul , spokesperson for the independent counsel team . Investigators earlier pledged to summon President Park for a face - to - face questioning and to raid the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae , neither of which succeeded . The four opposition parties -- the Democratic Party , People ’ s Party , Justice Party and the Bareun Party -- immediately filed complaints against Hwang ’ s largely anticipated decision , and agreed to pass a new independent counsel bill . Of them , the three more progressive parties -- excluding the Bareun Party , which split out from the ruling Liberty Korea Party -- even vowed to have acting President Hwang impeached . The opposition had earlier sought to pass a revision bill of the independent counsel act , so as to prolong the investigation mandate without the acting president ’ s approval . The effort , however , was thwarted due to the ruling conservative Liberty Korea Party ’ s dissent . “ As acting president , Hwang was under a legal obligation to approve ( the probe extension ) but he disallowed it , as if he had the discretion , ” said Rep . Woo . “ This was an abuse of authority as well as a violation of the law , which requires the National Assembly to take due measures . ” The opposition shall hold the prime minister responsible for his “ wrong decision , ” he also added . The party ’ s chief Rep . Choo Mi - ae also gestured that she would support Hwang ’ s impeachment . “ Why should ( Hwang ’ s impeachment ) be difficult ? It ’ s not as if he stands above the Constitution , ” she told reporters earlier . The main opposition party had previously withheld its stance on the impeachment plan , but soon decided to work with the People ’ s Party and Justice Party . “ Our party decided to motion an impeachment bill on Hwang , but this may only be possible with the participation of the Democratic Party , ” Rep . Joo Seung - yong of the People ’ s Party said in a party meeting . The ruling Liberty Korea Party , the party of suspended President Park , advocated Hwang ’ s anticipated decision to close the investigation . “ The independent counsel investigation , though it does have some loose ends , may not go on forever , ” said party spokesperson Rep . Kim Sung - won . “ The opposition should humbly accept the results and refrain from using ( the investigation extension issue ) for their own political interests . ” The acting president is currently seen as the most likely presidential candidate for the ruling party , though he is yet to make an official bid . Should the Constitutional Court uphold Park ’ s impeachment in the second week of March , as planned , an earlier - than - planned presidential election is to be held within 60 days . Hwang ’ s refusal to prolong the investigation against Park -- a decision obviously favorable for the embattled president and her home party -- was thus taken as a sign that he shall step in the race as the ruling party ’ s runner . His approval rating as of the fourth week of February , according to pollster Realmeter , stood at 10 . 9 percent , down 3 . 9 percentage points from the previous week . By Bae Hyun - jung ( tellme @ heraldcorp . com ) [ 코리아 헤럴드 ] [ K - POP HERALD ] [ 페이스북 ] <ⓒ KoreaHerald ( www . koreaherald . com ) 무단 전재 및 재 배포 금지 >