The People Power Party urged the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) to investigate President Lee Jae-myung, who ordered an inspection into prosecutors who collectively walked out of the trial over false testimony in the "salmon drinking party" case involving former Gyeonggi Province Vice Governor for Peace Lee Hwa-young. The party argued that the president's order to inspect the prosecutors constitutes abuse of authority.
Na Kyung-won of the People Power Party said at a floor countermeasures meeting at the National Assembly on the morning of the 28th, "As soon as the president returned from an overseas trip, the president ordered that prosecutors be inspected," and added, "We ask the CIO to immediately investigate the president."
She went on, "The reason given for the inspection is that prosecutors filed a challenge and walked out in the 'Lee Hwa-young false testimony case,'" and said, "When there is concern that a trial will proceed unfairly by a judge, filing a challenge is a prosecutor's authority."
Na also said, "There have been many instances of prosecutors walking out, but no prosecutor has ever been inspected. Ordering an inspection without grounds amounts to abuse of authority," and added, "The CIO said it has investigative authority over abuse of authority by a sitting president and immediately launched an investigation last year related to martial law. By the same logic, an investigation into the president should also begin immediately."
She continued, "The Lee Hwa-young false testimony case and the president's North Korea remittance case are connected. The president abused authority to order an inspection that does not fall within the president's powers in order to gain an advantage in the president's North Korea remittance case," and emphasized, "This is a grave legal violation, and it is crystal clear that it constitutes grounds for impeachment under the Constitution."
There was also criticism of an official letter the Board of Audit and Inspection recently sent to National Assembly standing committees, saying it would accept "audit tips." The claim is that a "targeted audit" could be carried out by receiving tips effectively from the Democratic Party of Korea, which holds an overwhelming majority in the National Assembly.
Yoo Sang-bum, senior deputy floor leader for operations of the People Power Party, said, "The Board of Audit and Inspection recently sent an unprecedented official letter to the National Assembly standing committees asking them to inform it of matters judged to require an audit," and added, "It is tantamount to the Board of Audit and Inspection declaring it will play the role of the ruling party's poodle. It is a servile posture that would throw away independence and neutrality to the dogs."