The ruling and opposition parties continue to spar over whether to introduce a special counsel to investigate allegations that the Unification Church provided money to political figures. Conservative opposition parties such as the People Power Party and the Reform Party are pressuring the ruling bloc, saying an independent special counsel should be accepted immediately, while the Democratic Party of Korea is pushing back, calling the demand for a special counsel "muddying the waters."
Park Sung-hoon, senior spokesperson for the People Power Party, said on the 13th, "With individuals at the Minister level in the current administration, former and incumbent ruling party lawmakers, and even those close to the president being mentioned, the current prosecutors and police, and special counsel Min Joong-ki, whose bias has been exposed, cannot earn public trust," adding, "What is needed now is not a special counsel tailored to the ruling party's taste but a neutral and independent special counsel recommended by the opposition."
He pressed further, saying, "The Democratic Party and President Lee Jae-myung should stop blocking the investigation and immediately accept the introduction of an opposition-recommended special counsel," and urged them to "apply to yourselves the principle that 'those who reject a special counsel are the culprits.'"
Lee Dong-hoon, senior spokesperson for the Reform Party, also said in a commentary, "The only solution that can investigate this matter regardless of party is a special counsel recommended by the third zone proposed by Lee Jun-seok," and asked the Democratic Party, "If you are truly confident, why do you reject the most neutral third-zone special counsel?"
In response, the Democratic Party hit back, saying to stop "muddying the waters." Floor spokesperson Baek Seung-a said in a briefing, "The truth of the Unification Church allegations must be revealed through an investigation," and argued, "The People Power Party should stop its political offensive intended to muddy the waters and hamstring state affairs."
Baek, the floor spokesperson, added, "The People Power Party is pushing for a special counsel even before investigation results come out, focusing on turning this into a political flashpoint," and said, "This can only be seen as political calculation to dilute responsibility for the insurrection. The Democratic Party urges a swift and stern police investigation."