The Democratic Party of Korea has named the so-called "trial suspension law" (amendment to the Criminal Procedure Act) the "national governance stabilization law" and officially raised the possibility of handling it during this month's regular session. Spurred by the first-instance ruling in the Daejang-dong case, the discussion, which had remained at the level of individual lawmakers' views, appears to be elevated to the party level.
Park Su-hyeon, the Democratic Party chief spokesperson, said at a press briefing at the National Assembly on the 2nd, "From now on, the Democratic Party will refer to the trial suspension law as the 'national governance stabilization law,' the 'national governance protection law,' and the 'Article 84 of the Constitution protection law.'"
Park said, "Until now, in line with the People Power Party's demand to resume the five major trials against President Lee, calls by Democratic Party lawmakers at the individual level to handle the national governance stabilization law have naturally emerged in a defensive manner," adding, "However, because in the trial of the Daejang-dong group the court made clear that the indictment of President Lee for breach of trust was an unreasonable, fabricated indictment, from now on it has become a practical issue at the leadership level."
Park, the chief spokesperson, went on to say, "Both the possibility that discussion of the national governance stabilization law will be elevated to the leadership level and the possibility that it will be handled within this month's regular session are open."
Earlier, at the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee, the Democratic Party pushed through the trial suspension law (amendment to the Criminal Procedure Act) on its own and sought to put it to a floor vote in June, but postponed handling it at the last stage. At the time, amid controversy over "bulletproof legislation," the party moved to adjust the pace, but during the recent National Assembly audit period, when a member of the judiciary suggested that "the trial of President Lee could be resumed," a mood reportedly spread within the party that "it can no longer be delayed."
Park said, "Since the People Power Party is stoking the fire to open the five major trials against President Lee, the Democratic Party cannot help but boil," adding, "I make clear that there is a possibility we can prioritize handling the crime of legal distortion, which has already passed the Legislation and Judiciary Committee and is awaiting a floor vote, and the national governance stabilization law."
He also countered, "The People Power Party should immediately stop accusing the Democratic Party of moving to handle this law to delete the breach-of-trust indictment trial of President Lee," adding, "Abolishing the breach-of-trust offense is intended to ease difficulties for corporations, and it was discussed at the luncheon meeting between President Lee and the leaders of both parties."
He continued, "For the People Power Party to attack like this now is self-contradictory and puts Representative Jang Dong-hyeok in a bind," pointing out, "Has Representative Jang forgotten how passionately you spoke, together with Representative Jung Chung-rae and the president, about improving the breach-of-trust system?"