[Summary] "Apologize to the Youth" Kim Tae-seop Criticizes Cho Kuk and the Corruption Investigation Office, Faces Nomination Rejection and Disciplinary Action

Harsh Criticism of Homeland, Opposition to Public Corruption Investigation Office, Geum Tae-seop Faces Nomination Rejection and Disciplinary Action
Jin Joong-kwon: "If Even One Opinion Differs from the Party, Immediate Removal"

Former Democratic Party lawmaker Geum Tae-seop (left), former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk (right)

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] It was reported on the 1st that the Democratic Party recently disciplined former lawmaker Geum Tae-seop, who criticized former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk and opposed the establishment of the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Office (HOCI). Some have pointed out that the disciplinary action against former lawmaker Geum Tae-seop might have been retaliatory. Geum Tae-seop faced harsh criticism from Democratic Party supporters after expressing opposition to the HOCI.

The bill to establish the HOCI passed the National Assembly plenary session on the 30th of last year. Former lawmaker Geum, who abstained from voting at the time, was harshly criticized for not following the party line. Especially among pro-Moon Jae-in (친문) supporters, there were even criticisms telling him to "go to the Korean Party (now the United Future Party)."

The Democratic Party Ethics Committee held a meeting on the 25th and issued a 'warning' to former lawmaker Geum. This decision was made in response to a petition submitted by some party members in February last year to expel Geum from the party.

At that time, the party members argued for Geum's expulsion due to his abstention in the vote on the HOCI bill. They repeatedly claimed, "Geum Tae-seop is committing an unacceptable act."

Former Democratic Party lawmaker Geum Tae-seop is questioning then-Minister of Justice nominee Chu Mi-ae at the Legislation and Judiciary Committee hearing held at the National Assembly on the afternoon of December 30 last year.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Some party members wrote, "Please leave for a party that matches your ideology. Stop muddying the waters. The Democratic Party should never nominate such a gray figure. It will backfire." Another post stated, "How can someone who must stand with the prosecution until the end be a representative of the people and a member of the party?"

In response, the Democratic Party Ethics Committee defined former lawmaker Geum as a 'subject of disciplinary action' in its ruling, stating, "Support for the HOCI bill was our party's official stance," and "Since it is true that former lawmaker Geum abstained from voting due to his conviction, he is disciplined for 'violating the party line' under Article 14 of Party Regulation No. 7."

Right after the HOCI vote last year, then-chief spokesperson Hong Ik-pyo expressed strong regret to reporters after the plenary session, saying, "It is regrettable that an abstention vote (by lawmaker Geum) occurred despite it being the party line."

Netizens protesting against Democratic Party lawmaker Geum Tae-seop, who abstained from voting on the Corruption Investigation Office bill. Photo by Geum Tae-seop Facebook capture

Not only party members but also pro-Moon Jae-in supporters criticized former lawmaker Geum on his Facebook and other social media platforms after it became known that he abstained from voting on the HOCI establishment bill, which was President Moon Jae-in's 'No. 1 pledge.' They urged him to "join the Korean Party" and "leave the Democratic Party."

One netizen strongly criticized, "If not following the party line is your conviction, then there is no reason for you to stay in the party. Join the Korean Party that matches your party line." Additionally, protest posts demanding his exclusion from nomination were continuously posted on the Democratic Party members' bulletin board.

Geum, a former prosecutor, has consistently opposed the establishment of the HOCI publicly. In October last year, at a debate, he said, "If a bad regime comes in, it could lead to a competition of loyalty and the HOCI could be abused," and "There is no institution in the world like the HOCI, which has both investigative and prosecutorial powers targeting only high-ranking officials, as the ruling party is pushing for."

Also, during the Ministry of Justice audit at the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee held the same month, he questioned Deputy Minister Kim Oh-soo, saying, "Separating investigative and prosecutorial powers is the global standard," and "Our prosecution reform plan also involves abolishing special investigation units and separating investigative and prosecutorial powers by having the prosecution relinquish direct investigative authority, so why should the HOCI have both investigative and prosecutorial powers?"

Former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk [Image source=Yonhap News]

During the Cho Kuk incident, former lawmaker Geum publicly expressed an 'anti-Cho Kuk' stance within the Democratic Party. On September 6 last year, at Cho Kuk's confirmation hearing, Geum publicly asked, "Do you have no sincere intention to apologize for the inconsistency between your words and actions so far, and for deeply wounding young people's justifiable anger with irrelevant answers?"

He also said, "There are many considerations such as the reality of confrontation between camps and political gains and losses, but even weighing all of these on one side of the scale, my heart inevitably leans toward the side of the young people's wounds."

At a time when the ruling and opposition parties were sharply divided over Cho Kuk's appointment, Geum was the only Democratic Party lawmaker to express opposition.

When Geum expressed opposition to Cho Kuk's appointment, pro-Moon supporters also visited his Facebook and criticized him, saying, "Join the Korean Party," and "Leave the Democratic Party."

After Geum, who had conflicts with the party over controversies such as opposition to Cho Kuk and the HOCI bill, was eliminated in the nomination race for the 21st general election in March, former Dongyang University professor Jin Joong-kwon posted on his Facebook, "The Democratic Party has gone crazy. They finally cut off Geum Tae-seop's head," and criticized it as "a blatant example of the harm caused by pro-Moon fandom politics."

He said, "Even if they had sent out a stick with 'Protect Cho Kuk' written on it, the stick would have been nominated," and "Lawmakers have become 130 silent hands that cannot speak harshly to the party and have no opinions." He also said, "It is a cultural revolution where terror politics using Red Guards has become normalized."

Professor Jin criticized, "Those who brand someone a 'traitor' for having their own convictions actually gave nominations to Kim Min-seok, who was the epitome of betrayal and the first to betray Roh Moo-hyun," and "Moon Jae-in's Democratic Party is just a huge vested interest group where the pro-Roh faction, revived by the impeachment incident, uses totalitarian party tactics to protect their interests and cover up their corruption."