Park Kyun-taek of the Democratic Party of Korea, aligned with the pro-Lee Jae-myung faction, criticized Cho Kuk of the Rebuilding Korea Party, who is running in the Pyeongtaek-eul by-election in Gyeonggi, saying, "Does he have the standing to talk about prosecution reform?" He was pushing back after Cho referred to Kim Yong-nam, the Democratic Party candidate running in the same district, as "a person who will block prosecution reform."

Rebuilding Korea Party candidate Cho Kuk, running in the Pyeongtaek-eul by-election for the National Assembly, touches his bruised eye—injured during his schedule—as he registers his candidacy at the Pyeongtaek City Election Commission in Gyeonggi Province on the 14th./Courtesy of Yonhap News

Park said on the 15th on Facebook, "Cho, who shouts that prosecution reform is his political destiny, does he have the standing to talk about prosecution reform?" and added, "During the Moon Jae-in administration, as senior presidential secretary for civil affairs, he designed reform of power institutions, but prosecutorial power did not weaken."

He continued, "(Cho) guaranteed the special investigations unit's investigative authority, that is, the authority to conduct direct investigations. The prosecution's blade instead became even sharper," and added, "He turned the prosecution into Yoon Suk-yeol's private organization. As director-general for criminal affairs at the Ministry of Justice at the time, I warned repeatedly, but he did as Yoon Suk-yeol demanded."

Park also said, "Cho recently talks as if there is a difference between the supplementary investigation authority for prosecutors that he advocates (an extremely exceptional supplementary authority) and the supplementary investigation authority for prosecutors that Kim Yong-nam advocates (a limited supplementary authority), and on that basis argues that he, not Kim Yong-nam, should become a lawmaker," adding, "I wonder what difference there is at all and whether he is speaking with a proper understanding of frontline investigative practice."

He added, "Cho should not evade responsibility for the failure of prosecution reform during the Moon Jae-in administration as if it were the work of a third party," and said, "Before criticizing statements Kim Yong-nam made when he was with the People Power Party, I hope he will sincerely apologize for the failure of prosecution reform and for the birth of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, and receive the public's judgment."

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