Democratic Party of Korea leader Jung Chung-rae on the 24th stressed that he would swiftly push a "law distortion offense" to punish judges and prosecutors who fabricate evidence or distort facts in rulings.
At the party Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the morning of the day, Jung referred to remarks by Prosecutor Moon Ji-seok made at the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee the previous day, saying, "This is why we must urgently handle the law distortion offense pending in the Legislation and Judiciary Committee," and added, "If there are prosecutors who cover up what exists as if it does not, or fabricate what does not exist as if it does, we must find them all and punish them for the law distortion offense."
At the audit in question, Prosecutor Moon said to the effect that "the prosecution leadership pressured for a no-charge disposition in the case of unpaid severance pay for Coupang day laborers and threatened to reassign the case."
Jung emphasized, "The same goes for judges. If there are cases where the applicable law was misapplied and a ruling turned a non-crime into a crime or a crime into a non-crime, judges, too, should be punished for the law distortion offense." Democratic Party Legislation and Judiciary Committee members also plan to swiftly pursue legislation on the law distortion offense after the audit.
Jung then pressed Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae to resign, saying, "Seeing him remain silent during the Dec. 3 emergency martial law and then launch a judicial independence movement after the insurrection was suppressed, he seems like a truly cowardly opportunist," and, "That is why judges within the courts are asserting that Chief Justice Cho is unfit and should decide his own course. Please conduct yourself accordingly."
He also targeted Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, citing the National Assembly testimony of "political broker" Myung Tae-gyun. Jung unleashed strong remarks, saying, "Watching the audit, I thought, 'Oh Se-hoon is finished; Oh Se-hoon will have a very hard time; even decent lawyers will find it impossible to cover this.'"
Earlier, at the National Assembly Public Administration and Security Committee audit the previous day, Myung, who faced Mayor Oh, claimed, "Mayor Oh Se-hoon pleaded in tears. He sobbed," and, "I met (Mayor Oh) seven times." Mayor Oh said, "On Nov. 8, there will be a face-to-face interrogation with (Myung)," and added, "Even if you ask about the facts, I have no choice but to refrain from answering, and I ask for your understanding," keeping his words to a minimum.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Party announced it would push as a party platform the legislation of an independent confiscation system. The independent confiscation system allows the confiscation and collection of criminal revenue regardless of a guilty verdict. Under the current Criminal Act, confiscation is, in principle, an addition to punishment and is possible only when an indictment is filed. There has been criticism that confiscation becomes difficult if a trial is impossible due to the suspect's death, unknown whereabouts, or the expiration of the statute of limitations. Floor leader Kim Byung-kee said, "We will wipe away, even one day sooner, the tears of the many people whose precious assets were taken."