On the 15th, People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok sharply criticized the prosecution for seeking prison terms for many of his party's lawmakers in the first-trial closing arguments over the fast-track (expedited agenda) clashes, saying the prosecution had become a handmaid of power. The People Power Party plans to keep up its offensive as it discusses responses to the prosecution's sentencing requests, the Democratic Party of Korea's pressure for the chief justice to resign, and the push to create a court division dedicated to insurrection cases.
Meeting with reporters at the National Assembly that afternoon, Jang criticized the prosecution's sentencing requests for opposition lawmakers, saying, the prosecution has become a handmaid of power and sought unimaginably heavy sentences for opposition lawmakers, and, considering the conduct and nature of the offenses, the prosecution's requests this time are by no means balanced. He argued that the resistance by People Power Party lawmakers in 2019, who tried to block the establishment of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, was a just fight for the country.
He went on to say, this power says it will dismantle the prosecution, yet the prosecution is still playing the role of a handmaid before power, and, for the Democratic Party to save itself alone by eliminating the opposition, extending its rule, and turning the Republic of Korea into a one-party dictatorship, the prosecution is also going along with that ambition.
He stressed, I fear how the fast-track ruling will end, but we will watch closely together with the public.
Earlier that day, in connection with the fast-track clash that broke out at the National Assembly in 2019, the prosecution asked the court to hand down sentences ranging from a fine of 2 million won to two years in prison for figures affiliated with the Liberty Korea Party (now the People Power Party). It sought one year and six months in prison for Hwang Kyo-ahn, then the party leader and now the Freedom and Innovation leader; two years for lawmaker Na Kyung-won, who was the floor leader at the time; and 10 months in prison and a 2 million won fine for Song Eon-seok, now the People Power Party floor leader.
The People Power Party will hold an emergency general meeting of lawmakers on the 16th. The party is expected to focus on responses to the indictments and trials of its lawmakers, the ruling party's pressure for the chief justice to resign, and the controversy over a court division dedicated to insurrection cases. That day, People Power Party members of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee held a press conference and strongly criticized the Democratic Party's pressure on Chief Justice Cho Hui-dae to resign and its discussion of establishing a court division dedicated to insurrection cases as a frontal challenge to the Constitution and the separation of powers and a declaration of war to turn the country into a dictatorship (Na Kyung-won, lawmaker).