The People Power Party criticized the search and seizure by the special investigator team led by Jo Eun-seok targeting its members as a 'hollow shell.' It warned that it would not tolerate the 'red-baiting of opposition parties' as the special investigator uses the search and seizure as political manipulation without any results.
Jang Dong-hyeok, the leader of the People Power Party, said during an emergency supreme committee meeting held at the National Assembly on the morning of the 3rd, 'The search and seizure yesterday (the 2nd) clearly revealed that the Democratic Party's red-baiting of opposition parties is nothing but a hollow shell.' He declared, 'Today (the 3rd) I proclaim the end of the red-baiting of opposition parties.'
The backdrop of the meeting room where the supreme committee convened changed to 'Stop the political retaliation and search and seizure against the opposition party immediately.' This change was made to criticize the search and seizure conducted by the special investigator the previous day.
Jang said, 'The special investigator took even the dust from the People Power Party's floor to clarify what happened during a few hours on the evening of December 3 of last year,' adding, 'The floor leader's office and the floor administration office are the core command posts that lead the party's strategy. This is a low and vile political manipulation that intends to break the arms and legs of the People Power Party's command and gag the opposition's mouth.'
He continued, 'The search warrant brought by the special investigator is a confession of the fact that the red-baiting of opposition parties has been nothing at all.' He emphasized that 'it revealed to the world how absurd and deceptive the Democratic Party's red-baiting of opposition parties was.'
Song Eon-seok, the floor leader, also said, 'The special investigator has gone beyond targeting lawmakers to lurking in front of the homes of party office staff, suddenly appearing in front of people on their way to work and seizing their mobile phones,' adding, 'They completely ignored the right to receive assistance from a lawyer and did not return the mobile phones. They claim they did not enter residences, stating they did not conduct a search and seizure of residences. This is truly shameless.'
He pointed out, 'As the special investigator indiscriminately issues unreasonable warrants, the Democratic Party seems to be anxious. They are making a fuss about changing the laws to extend the investigation period and even about creating a special tribunal. It's ridiculous' and added, 'This is an investigation by a communist-style people's court that determines the conclusion as guilty according to their own preferences while proceeding with the investigation and trial.'
The special investigation team conducted a search and seizure of the then-floor leader and member Choo Kyung-ho and then-floor spokesperson Jo Ji-yeon to investigate the allegations of obstructing the vote on the lifting of martial law on December 3. The special investigator also searched the People Power Party's floor leader's office and floor administration office located within the National Assembly building.