Reform Party floor leader Cheon Ha-ram on the 15th criticized the second comprehensive special counsel bill, placed on the plenary agenda under the lead of the Democratic Party of Korea, saying it was "using our country's investigative capacity and budget to flatter 'gae-ddal' ('daughters of reform')."
When the "Act on the Appointment of a Special Counsel for Fact-Finding into Insurrection, Treason and State Capture Committed by Yoon Suk-yeol and Kim Keon-hee" was introduced at the National Assembly plenary session that afternoon, Floor Leader Cheon took the floor as the first speaker in a filibuster (a lawful obstruction of proceedings through unlimited debate) and stated accordingly.
Cheon said, "A special counsel is a special blade. We cannot use this special blade only to posthumously punish an already defunct administration," adding, "A special blade should be used first to cut out the rotten parts of the living power."
He went on, "What we need now is not a reheated, twice-over second comprehensive special counsel, but a special counsel on the Unification Church and bribery-for-nominations to cut out the corruption of the power that is currently alive," emphasizing, "President Lee Jae-myung says in his own words that issues like the Unification Church and money-for-nominations must disappear, yet he is trying in every way to avoid a special counsel that points out their own wrongdoing."
He continued, "The essence of the second comprehensive special counsel is the sense of entitlement and hypocrisy of Lee Jae-myung and the Democratic Party. They say the second special counsel will cost more than 15 billion won. An enormous number of investigators from the police and prosecution will also be mobilized," adding, "If so, the first task is to closely analyze which parts of the initial three special counsels were insufficient. At a time when even persuading the public and the National Assembly would be difficult, the attitude the Democratic Party is showing is 'we can launch a special counsel anytime we want.'"
He then said, "Among the many people watching this debate, there are plenty who do not know when the three special counsels ended. You will likely wonder why a second special counsel is needed on top of that," adding, "If special counsels siphon off all investigative resources, there will inevitably be gaps in cases that affect people's livelihoods, cases involving ordinary citizens."
Floor Leader Cheon criticized, "They are trying to push for a special counsel because of the 'gae-ddal' without properly persuading the public," adding, "Because of the 'gae-ddal,' they are trying to spend precious state funds and dispatch investigators who should be probing voice phishing and drug crimes affecting ordinary people to the second comprehensive special counsel. Is this the attitude of a responsible ruling party?"