Lee Geon-tae, a Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker who previously served as an attorney in President Lee Jae-myung's Daejang-dong development scandal case, said to party leader Jung Chung-rae regarding the controversy over the second comprehensive special counsel, "Conduct an inspection of this case." He also said to Democratic Party of Korea Supreme Council member Lee Sung-yoon, who recommended an attorney who had been counsel in the SSANGBANGWOOL illegal remittances to North Korea case as special counsel, "Resign from the Supreme Council."
On the 8th, the lawmaker said at a press conference at the National Assembly communication center, "Recommending attorney Jeon Jun-cheol, who had been Kim Seong-tae's lawyer, is a betrayal of President Lee Jae-myung and a clear treachery against the Democratic Party of Korea's party line."
He added, "The second comprehensive special counsel was launched in response to public demands to thoroughly determine not only the alleged insurrection and state manipulation but also the overall conduct of the political prosecution service and whether there was any abuse of power," and said, "If involvement by Yoon Suk-yeol or Kim Keon-hee is revealed, the SSANGBANGWOOL remittances to North Korea case will inevitably become a core target of the special counsel's investigation."
The lawmaker said, "If attorney Jeon had taken on the special counsel role, the investigation into Chairman Kim Seong-tae might have fizzled out, and the substance of the alleged fabricated indictment over the remittances to the North might have been buried forever." He continued, "It is hard to accept at the public's level that the Democratic Party of Korea recommended as a special counsel candidate a figure who had defended a key figure in that case."
The lawmaker said, "Attorney Jeon, in the past when Supreme Council member Lee Sung-yoon was serving as chief of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, held a key post and was one of the principal figures known as the 'Lee Sung-yoon faction,'" and asked, "Did Supreme Council member Lee Sung-yoon and leader Jung Chung-rae's leadership recommend attorney Jeon Jun-cheol even while knowing he had been Kim Seong-tae's lawyer?"
Aiming at leader Jung, the lawmaker said, "Leader Jung must thoroughly inspect this matter and sternly hold those responsible to account," adding, "If you try to lightly cover this up and move on, the consequences will fall entirely on you, leader Jung." He also said, "Since Supreme Council member Lee Sung-yoon has acknowledged that he recommended (the controversial candidate), he should take responsibility and resign from the Supreme Council."
Earlier, on the 5th, the president appointed attorney Kwon Chang-young (28th class of the Judicial Research and Training Institute) of Jipyong LLC, a former judge, as special counsel for the second comprehensive probe to supplement the investigations into the insurrection, Kim Keon-hee, and the death in the line of duty of a Marine, and to investigate new allegations. Under the special counsel law, one candidate each can be recommended by the Democratic Party of Korea and the Rebuilding Korea Party. Kwon was recommended by the Rebuilding Korea Party. The Democratic Party of Korea recommended former prosecutor Jeon Jun-cheol (31st class), an attorney at Lee & Ko.
Analyses said it was unusual in itself that the president appointed a nominee recommended by the Rebuilding Korea Party rather than by the ruling Democratic Party of Korea. The president was reportedly displeased with the Democratic Party of Korea for putting forward attorney Jeon as its candidate.