Kwon Young-se, chairman of the People Power Party, noted on the 25th regarding the allegations of 'warrant shopping' related to the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) that "clear accountability must be held."
Chairman Kwon appeared on SBS live broadcast that afternoon, stating, "The CIO has requested warrants 16 times from the Seoul Central District Court, but they were dismissed, and among them, 4 of them were related to the president (warrants), weren't they?"
Chairman Kwon emphasized that "the public will be curious about 'why the warrants coming from this court may be issued in another court,' and they will feel uncomfortable about the fact that the investigation agency chased down to obtain warrants, 'since they did not come out from here to over there.' I understand that especially regarding the fact that the CIO concealed that part with lies, they will not be able to comprehend it. I believe it is certainly a big issue."
Previously, Rep. Joo Jin-woo of the People Power Party (Chairman of Legal Advisory Committee) sent an official letter asking the CIO if it had ever requested seizure and communication warrants related to President Yoon from the Central District Court, to which the CIO responded, "There are no facts of requesting warrants from the Central District Court."
However, the fact that a communication warrant was requested for President Yoon became known through his legal team, leading to a controversy, and the People Power Party is currently demanding the resignation of the CIO head, focusing on pro-Yoon lawmakers.
Chairman Kwon commented on President Yoon's final defense message, saying, "It is not appropriate to comment specifically on the content," but added that "the legal team and, above all, President Yoon, must have concluded and prepared with deep consideration of what content should be included." He continued, "I expect it will resonate greatly with the public and the Constitutional Court judges."
However, regarding the Constitutional Court ruling, he stated, "One should be cautious even when dismissing a single worker, yet to come to a conclusion regarding 'whether to impeach the president or not' with merely 10 trials is very uncomfortable and disappointing."
He added, "Regarding the conclusion (impeachment), I believe the Constitutional Court will contemplate even after hearing President Yoon's final defense. While there are indeed aspects we hope for, I expect the Constitutional Court to rule cautiously, objectively, and fairly."
Regarding the recent decline in the 'centrist support rate' in polls, he stated, "It's only one polling agency (Gallup) that reflects this, and generally, the support rate is coming out well."
He added, "This does not mean that we are satisfied. Given that our party is in an absolutely weak position in the National Assembly and that the president is also in a difficult situation, I believe gaining the support of the people is crucial, and we will thoughtfully prepare and strive for every word, action, and policy."
However, he refrained from commenting on the possibility and preparation for an early presidential election, stating that it is "inappropriate and needs to be restrained" regarding the comments emerging from within the party about early election preparations. The previous day, Daegu Mayor Hong Jun-pyo expressed his intention to resign from the mayoral office and challenge for the presidency if the early election is realized.
Chairman Kwon remarked, "Of course, one needs to consider the possibility that the Constitutional Court might accept the impeachment motion, but preparing in a direction based solely on one premise is not appropriate."
In response to the observation that "if the impeachment motion is accepted, the presidential election is in May, but there seems to be no candidate to face Lee Jae-myung, the representative of the Democratic Party, who is effectively a one-party system," he countered, "Isn't the one-party system rather abnormal?"
Regarding the inquiry that "there are veto voices within the party prior to the return of former representative Han Dong-hoon," he responded, "There are people who veto any politician, just as there are those who like them." To the question, "Are you still a member of the People Power Party?" he replied, "As far as I know, yes."
Regarding the so-called 'Myung-tae-kyun file' potentially catching the ankles of the ruling party's presidential candidates, he stated, "I am concerned about the discussions that are arising," but added, "However, one point I would like to emphasize is that the investigation agencies should refrain from intentionally leaking information to the outside."
Moreover, in response to remarks by Lee that "even if the appellate court's ruling comes out as a judgment of not qualifying for presidential candidacy, it does not pose a problem for the presidential race," he strongly criticized, saying, "To avoid having to hold another presidential election, I believe the public will think and vote on how they judge this matter."
He particularly pointed out that even if one is elected president, the clause stating that 'no criminal prosecution will occur during their term' does not apply. He stated that if a guilty judgment by the Supreme Court comes out during the presidential term, they will lose the presidency.
Chairman Kwon stated, "Look at the impeachment cases. Impeachment involves prosecution and judgment, where the prosecution occurs in the National Assembly and the judgment is made by the Constitutional Court. Criminal prosecution is carried out by the investigative agencies, and judgment is made by the courts." He emphasized, "Thus, the part that a sitting president cannot be criminally prosecuted is that they are not subjected to investigation until they are indicted. In cases that are already indicted and are going through trial, the trial must naturally continue, and if the result is a loss of position, one must comply with that."
Recently, in response to Lee mentioning the Democratic Party as a 'centrist conservative' party, calling the People Power Party 'far-right conservative' and 'criminal party,' he stated, "There are 12 charges from 8 cases, 5 trials are ongoing, and there has been a guilty verdict against Representative Lee Jae-myung, so isn't his one-party party rather a criminal party?"
He condemned, saying, "The Democratic Party can never be a centrist conservative party. They said they could not accept the exception clause for the 52-hour workweek in the Semiconductor Special Law because their supporting group, the labor unions, opposed it; what kind of party is the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions? This is a party where leaders have been punished for issues related to North Korean spies. It cannot be seen as a centrist conservative group at all." He then questioned, "What sort of centrist right-wing party is a party that cannot even choose a policy due to its close ties with such groups?"