The People Power Party said on the 20th at the National Assembly's plenary session that it would review ‘the Kim Keon-hee special probe law’ and ‘the special probe law regarding allegations of external pressure in drug investigations’ as a party position for disapproval.
Kweon Seong-dong, the floor leader of the People Power Party, said at an emergency meeting held at the National Assembly that “the Democratic Party forced the passage of the so-called ‘Kim Keon-hee special probe law’ and ‘the special probe law regarding allegations of external pressure in drug investigations’ in the Legislation and Judiciary Committee yesterday,” and added, “I will gather party consensus to reject this unconstitutional ‘Lee Jae-myung style special probe law’ in all aspects, including its purpose, content, and process.”
Kweon noted that the special probe law still contains unconstitutional provisions, referring to it as the ‘law for the establishment of a security department for the elimination of political rivals.’
He pointed out that 'the Democratic Party has already rushed the passage of National Assembly rules concerning the special probe last year, effectively blocking the ruling party's right to recommend special probe candidates. In this situation, the special prosecutor appointed would be nothing more than a difference between Lee Jae-myung's right or left arm.'
He continued, “A special probe law that grants unlimited investigative authority over cases involving political assassins and allows real-time publication of facts regarding suspects is, in itself, an act of legislative insurrection. Ultimately, this Lee Jae-myung-style special probe amounts to a law for the establishment of a security department for eliminating political rivals, and there is no difference from a law for establishing a propaganda department aimed at an early presidential election.”
Addressing National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-sik, he said, “You are the biggest supporter of Representative Lee Jae-myung’s rampage,” and pointed out that laws unilaterally passed under the opposition party's leadership are being brought up for a vote in the plenary session. He added, “I hope you can demonstrate your responsibility as a speaker for the remaining term. Not bringing unconstitutional special probe laws to the floor is the bare minimum courtesy to the public.”
Earlier, the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee held a subcommittee meeting and a full committee meeting consecutively on the previous day (the 19th) and processed the so-called ‘Kim Keon-hee special probe proposal (a request for a special prosecutor to investigate the stock manipulation case involving Kim Keon-hee, the spouse of President Yoon Suk-yeol)’ and ‘the special probe proposal regarding allegations of external pressure in drug investigations (a request for a special prosecutor to investigate allegations concerning the Incheon Customs drug case)’ solely by the opposition party.
The investigation targets of the Kim Keon-hee special probe include ▲ allegations of unfair trading, stock manipulation, and improper gains ▲ allegations of bribery related to exhibitions by Kolbana Contents ▲ allegations regarding receiving luxury bags ▲ and allegations related to the transfer contract for relocating the presidential office, among others, totaling 11.
The special probe regarding external pressure in drug investigations focuses on allegations that customs officials facilitated the smuggling of drugs into the country by a Malaysian drug trafficking organization in late January 2023. The opposition party believes that the presidential office exercised external pressure during the investigation by the Seoul Yeongdeungpo Police Station regarding these allegations.
Unlike general special probe laws, the special probe law does not allow the president to exercise the right to request reconsideration (veto). However, even if it passes the plenary session, the special prosecutor cannot be activated unless Choi Sang-mok, the acting president and Minister of Economy and Finance, requests a recommendation for a special prosecutor candidate. In fact, although the ‘special probe request for insurrection’ passed the plenary session last December, Acting Minister Choi has not made such a request.