The Democratic Party of Korea will hold a public hearing on the bills to establish the Public Prosecution Office and the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency, which the government has preannounced for legislation. On the 15th, it plans to hold a policy caucus to gather opinions from its lawmakers.
Park Soo-hyun, the Democratic Party chief spokesperson, met with reporters at the National Assembly press room on the 14th and said, "The public hearing on the Public Prosecution Office and the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency is, of course, a common-sense schedule that should be set," and added, "We need to listen carefully to the public's views on the follow-up bills the government has preannounced for legislation."
He went on, "Because the party has procedures, like a manual, for collecting opinions, multiple schedules are being arranged centered on the Policy Committee so we can hear diverse views," and said, "What matters most is that an orderly debate will begin at tomorrow's (the 15th) general meeting of lawmakers."
The party ethics tribunal's expulsion of Rep. Kim Byung-kee, who stepped down as floor leader over various misconduct allegations, is expected to be finalized by the end of this month after a retrial. The party ethics tribunal plans to reach a conclusion on the 29th regarding the retrial of the expulsion that Kim requested.
Chief spokesperson Park said, "If the ethics tribunal's retrial ruling is made as scheduled on the 29th, the result will be reported to the Supreme Council meeting on the 20th, then submitted to the general meeting of lawmakers for a vote," adding, "The leadership is viewing the issue of Rep. Kim from the public's perspective and is swiftly handling efforts to establish the facts."
Asked about criticism that the disposition differs from that of Rep. Jang Kyung-tae, who faces sexual misconduct allegations, Park said, "Because an investigation is underway, the Ethics Inspection Team, which is not an investigative body, has no choice but to wait for the investigative agency's results," adding, "This is not an evasive answer of simply saying we will wait for the results of the investigative agency."