The People Power Party is rallying in response to the widespread search and seizure by the Special Investigation Team led by Jo Eon-seok. It has concluded that the targets of the search have exceeded not only affiliated lawmakers but also the office of the floor leader, the floor administration office, and party secretariat staff. The party leadership has classified the special prosecutor's investigation as an attempt to 'eliminate the opposition party' and plans to strengthen responses both inside and outside the National Assembly.
On the morning of the 3rd, the People Power Party held an emergency general assembly at the National Assembly and then held a rally criticizing the special prosecutor's search and seizure in the Rotunda. The party leadership advised its lawmakers to stand by within the National Assembly and launched an indefinite sit-in in front of the office of the floor leader.
Song Eon-seok, the floor leader of the People Power Party, said at the general assembly, 'The special prosecutor's intention to enter the main National Assembly building to conduct a search and seizure of the opposition's floor leader's office goes beyond oppression of the opposition party to an attempt to eliminate it. It is absolutely unacceptable to conduct a search in the National Assembly building to raid the office of the opposition floor leader.'
The People Power Party pointed out that the search warrant issued by the special prosecutor specified the items to be seized and the time period excessively. According to the People Power Party, the special prosecutor set the time frame for the items to be seized from May of last year until the day before. The items to be seized include ▲business cards ▲diaries ▲receipts, among others.
The floor leader stated, 'The special prosecutor says they intend to seize everything from May of last year, which raises the question of what they did to obstruct voting six months prior to the state's emergency. The warrant was issued on the 29th of last month, but it was held up until the day of the confirmation hearing for Minister of Education Cho Kyo-jin. Last time, they came to search for the 5 million party member list and personal information during the party convention speech in Chungcheong and Honam regions.'
'Why is a business card and a receipt necessary? It is incomprehensible that the special prosecutor, who requested such a warrant, and the court that issued it both do not understand this. It is an abuse of power,' he noted, adding, 'I said we would cooperate by defining the necessary scope with the special prosecutor and submitting items voluntarily, but (the special prosecutor) insisted on following the warrant, completely disregarding the opposition party.'
The People Power Party is instructing its affiliated lawmakers to remain on standby and is launching a full-scale response. This is in preparation for the possibility of a renewed search and seizure as the special prosecutor visited the National Assembly that day. The Party's 'Special Committee for the Defense of Judicial Justice and Prevention of Dictatorship' plans to report the special investigation team, which conducted searches at the party secretariat staff, the office of the floor leader, and the floor administration office, for abuse of power.
Jang Dong-hyuk, the representative of the People Power Party, has also sought to rally those outside the National Assembly. He emphasized that there is a need to expand the struggle against the government outside the National Assembly during his attendance at the expanded operations committee of the 'Council of Non-registered Party Members' held at the party's central office in Yeouido, Seoul.
After the meeting, Representative Jang met with reporters and said, 'The People Power Party currently lacks the strength to fight with just 107 members inside the National Assembly. This is a crucial moment where we must fight not only with the heads of local branches outside the National Assembly but also with all right-leaning citizens.' He emphasized, 'Today (the 3rd), I have spoken with the outside committee heads about overcoming this crisis for the People Power Party and will expand communication with the outside committee heads.'