Yoon Sang-hyun, a member of the People Power Party, urged the Democratic Party on the 16th to cooperate with the special investigation law on the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) that he proposed.
At a press conference at the National Assembly that morning, Yoon stated, "The CIO concealed the fact that the warrant for communication and seizure requested from the Seoul Central District Court, which named President Yoon as a suspect, was dismissed," and claimed, "The CIO engaged in so-called 'warrant shopping' by reapplying for warrants in courts with specific judges and concealed these facts during the National Assembly's response and investigations."
He continued, "A thorough investigation into the illegal investigative actions of the CIO against the president is necessary," emphasizing that the introduction of a special investigation law is inevitable. The CIO's so-called 'warrant shopping' attempts are a serious issue that undermines the foundations of the rule of law, and it would be difficult to conduct a fair and swift investigation with the existing monitoring and oversight system.
He urged cooperation from the opposition party. Yoon noted, "The Democratic Party has stated that it has had no involvement in the illegal investigations and arrest processes by the CIO," adding, "If that is the case, they should clarify their claims through this CIO special investigation law."
Earlier, on the 14th, Yoon proposed the CIO special investigation law (a bill on the appointment of special prosecutors to investigate the unlawful investigative actions of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials). It includes allegations of illegality in requesting arrest warrants during the CIO's investigations, false statements during the National Assembly's investigations, and allegations of illegality in the process of issuing arrest warrants by the courts. The bill was co-sponsored by 13 members of the same party: Kim Seok-ki, Park Dae-chul, Lee In-sun, Lim Jong-deok, Park Sang-ung, Kim Jang-gyeom, Kang Seung-kyu, Kim Min-jeon, Kim Seon-kyo, Park Soo-young, Park Chung-kwon, Lee Heon-seung, and In Yo-han.
After the press conference, Yoon met with reporters, stating, "In short, it's a president illegal arrest gate," and emphasized, "To protect the rule of law in South Korea, it is essential to thoroughly investigate the allegations from the public that a specific cartel is operating within the courts and investigative agencies."
However, the introduction of the 'CIO special investigation law' is expected to be difficult. The Democratic Party, which holds a majority in the National Assembly, immediately dismissed the request for cooperation on the special investigation law. Democratic Party spokesperson Kang Yu-jung criticized in a written briefing, "The contents of the bill are a repetition of the smear campaigns that far-right figures have continuously engaged in," adding, "The direction of the special investigation is also off. The focus of the special investigation should be directed towards the prosecution rather than the CIO, which imprisoned the insurrectionary leader Yoon Seok-yeol, who poses a physical threat to the far-right."
There is not much support even within the party. Kweon Seong-dong, the floor leader of the People Power Party, said at a press briefing that day regarding Yoon's push for the 'CIO special investigation law,' "It is more appropriate to view this as the personal opinion of some members."