The People Power Party has launched a public campaign to prepare for the "filibuster (a lawful obstruction of proceedings through unlimited debate) standoff" that will follow the regular session of the National Assembly. The aim is to highlight the problems in the "judicial reform" bills pushed by the Democratic Party of Korea to build momentum for the filibuster.
On the morning of the 8th, the People Power Party held a general assembly at the National Assembly under the title "People's indictment meeting on the Lee Jae-myung administration's dictatorship and evil laws." The meeting ran in three sessions for a total of six hours. People Power Party lawmakers and outside experts took the podium as presenters.
The People Power Party labeled the bills pushed by the ruling party as "dictatorial evil laws." Specifically, it pointed to ▲ the crime of legal distortion ▲ a bill to expand the investigative authority of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) ▲ establishment of a dedicated bench for insurrection cases ▲ a four-tier appeals system (judicial petition system) ▲ a bill to limit unlimited debate (an amendment to the National Assembly Act). The argument is that if these bills clear the plenary, the ruling party would seize both investigative and adjudicative powers, making dictatorship possible.
People Power Party lawmaker Joo Jin-woo said, "The crime of legal distortion hides a malicious intent to overturn rulings unfavorable to the Democratic Party of Korea and the Lee Jae-myung government and to pressure prosecutors and judges to draw favorable rulings." Another presenter, attorney Park Hyeong-myeong of Kim Jang-ri, said, "The bill to expand the CIO's investigative scope is intended to control the 25 prosecutors within the CIO so they move at the discretion of the Democratic Party of Korea and the government."
The people's indictment meeting serves as a "pre-filibuster public campaign" for the imminent filibuster. The Democratic Party of Korea plans to handle the "bill to limit filibusters" at the plenary session on the 9th. The People Power Party plans to counter with a filibuster. Before the meeting, People Power Party floor leader Song Eon-seog said, "On the last day of the regular session, tomorrow (the 9th), the Democratic Party of Korea has signaled it will railroad all the evil laws onto the plenary agenda and force through bills that dismantle Korea's constitutional order," adding, "We must lay bare the problems of these evil laws to the people."
In August and September, the People Power Party mounted a filibuster to block the three broadcasting bills, the yellow envelope law, and the Government Organization Act amendments. At the time, the Democratic Party of Korea forced the bills through on the strength of its majority of seats.