The rival parties engaged in an intense numbers game over a parliamentary inquiry into the "Daejang-dong development corruption case" following the withdrawal of an appeal, but the talks broke down for now. The People Power Party accepted the Democratic Party of Korea's demand and counterproposed three items, including "an end to unilateral management of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee." The Democratic Party said, "We cannot accept any of the three conditions," pushing back.
Democratic Party floor leader Kim Byung-kee and People Power Party floor leader Song Eon-seog met at the National Assembly in the afternoon to discuss a plan for a "Daejang-dong parliamentary inquiry." It was their second negotiation following a morning meeting. They talked for about an hour but failed to reach an agreement.
Yoo Sang-bum, the People Power Party's senior deputy floor leader for operations, told reporters after the meeting, "Our position is that negotiations should move forward if at least one item is accepted, but the Democratic Party rejected all three (proposed by the People Power Party), so the talks collapsed."
The parties had long run in parallel over who would "conduct" the inquiry. The Democratic Party demanded it be done by The National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee, while the People Power Party insisted on forming a separate committee composed of an equal number from both sides.
However, on the 26th, the People Power Party abruptly accepted the Democratic Party's demand to "do it in the Legislation and Judiciary Committee."
Instead, it counterproposed three conditions: ▲ appointment of an opposition secretary on the committee ▲ an end to unilateral management of the committee ▲ bipartisan agreement on witnesses and reference persons for the inquiry. The People Power Party judged that even if it accepted the ruling party's "Legislation and Judiciary Committee" card, it would be advantageous to amplify the spark for a Daejang-dong inquiry. With the first anniversary of the "Dec. 3 illegal emergency martial law situation" coming on Feb. 3, public attention is expected to focus on an apology over martial law, and there was also the expectation that a parliamentary inquiry could disperse the focus of the issue.
But the talks over the inquiry returned to a stalemate after the Democratic Party rejected the People Power Party's counterproposal.
The Democratic Party faces two points of concern. If it accepts the People Power Party's conditions, it could disrupt its floor strategy. The party decided to push judicial reform bills such as the Constitutional Appeal Act and a bill to increase Supreme Court justices in the December session, but if it forces the reform bills through the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, there is concern it could be trapped in a frame of "breach of agreement."
Within the party, some also say "there is no practical benefit to a parliamentary inquiry." On the 19th, Democratic Party members of the committee filed a police complaint against 18 chief prosecutors who collectively objected to the "Daejang-dong appeal withdrawal," accusing them of violating the State Public Officials Act. Because of this, the party's internal assessment is that it has become difficult to investigate what it originally aimed to clarify through the inquiry, such as "the decision-making process of the chief prosecutors and whether there was outside pressure." Under the National Assembly Inspection and Investigation Act, inspections or inquiries must not be conducted for the purpose of intervening in the prosecution of a case that is under trial or currently investigating. Therefore, it would be hard to respond even if the accused chief prosecutors refuse to testify in the parliamentary inquiry.
There are also reported voices within the party warning that proceeding with the inquiry could have the adverse effect of bringing back into focus President Lee Jae-myung's Daejang-dong suspicions.
Still, the Democratic Party left open the possibility of accepting some conditions. Moon Jin-seok, the party's senior deputy floor leader for operations, said, "The (committee) secretary appointment remains a sticking point," and when asked whether the party could accept the deal if the People Power Party yielded only on the secretary appointment, he said, "The possibility is very high." Among the three items proposed by the People Power Party, there is room to accept, after internal discussion, an end to unilateral management of the committee and bipartisan agreement on witnesses and reference persons for the inquiry.
Since the People Power Party has taken a step back by saying it would accept an inquiry in the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, there is also speculation that the Democratic Party could accept some conditions and reach a dramatic agreement on the inquiry.