Opposition Defends Corruption Investigation Office and Fiscal Rules... Will the All-Night Sit-In for Special Prosecutor Be Effective?

Kim Seong-won, the Senior Deputy Floor Leader of the People Power Party, and Bae Hyun-jin, the Floor Spokesperson, are submitting the recommendation letters for the candidates of the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Office Chief Recommendation Committee (Im Jeong-hyeok, Lee Hyun) to the National Assembly's Legislative Affairs Office on the 27th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy reporters Lee Ji-eun and Kim Hye-min] The People Power Party, which failed to achieve significant results in the first audit of the 21st National Assembly, labeled a 'bland audit,' is mounting an all-out effort to defend the launch of the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Unit (HCIC) promoted by the ruling party, while pushing for a special prosecutor for Lime and Optimus through 'overnight sit-ins.' They are also establishing a defensive line against the ruling party's unilateral budget processing by emphasizing fiscal rules. However, it remains to be seen whether the strong demands for aggressive street protests from the party hardliners will be realized.

On the morning of the 27th, Kim Seong-won, the senior deputy floor leader of the People Power Party, and Bae Hyun-jin, the floor spokesperson, submitted recommendation letters for lawyers Lim Jeong-hyeok and Lee Heon as members of the HCIC chief recommendation committee to the Legislative Affairs Office in the National Assembly main building. Senior Deputy Floor Leader Kim said, "They will play a significant role in forming a neutral and independent HCIC that is not swayed by the administration," adding, "We made a magnanimous decision because we cannot allow the National Assembly to be driven into a battleground for political strife anymore."

Lawyer Lim is a former deputy chief prosecutor of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office and was previously recommended as a candidate for the 'Druking special prosecutor.' Lawyer Lee served as the chairman of the Korea Legal Aid Corporation and was vice-chairman of the Sewol ferry disaster special investigation committee. Since the People Power Party had delayed appointing candidate recommendation committee members to buy time, there is a possibility that the 'delay strategy' will continue even after the appointments. Because the HCIC chief candidate must be approved by at least six out of seven recommendation committee members, if the two opposition party members oppose, the appointment could be indefinitely postponed.

The fight against the ruling party to enforce the Lime and Optimus special prosecutor is also starting in earnest. After jointly proposing the special prosecutor law with the People's Party on the 22nd, they will take collective action on the 27th. An emergency party meeting will be held at 4 p.m. to urge the ruling party to accept the special prosecutor, followed by an overnight sit-in at the National Assembly from evening until dawn. Emergency Response Committee Chairman Kim Jong-in will also attend the meeting.

Since the introduction of a special prosecutor is impossible without the Democratic Party's consent, it is interpreted as an attempt to pressure the ruling party by leveraging public opinion. Recently, the party's approval ratings have been declining, so there is no driving force to enforce the special prosecutor, and the audit has effectively become a proxy battle between Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae and Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl, leaving little room for negotiation finesse. Therefore, voices demanding stronger public opinion campaigns through street protests may emerge during the party meeting. In fact, dissatisfaction is also rising within the party, with some saying, "The party leadership is trying to give up the street protest card too quickly."

In the budget session following the audit, the party will clash with the ruling party over next year's budget, which amounts to 556 trillion won. Earlier, the opposition think tank 'Yeouido Institute' pointed out that the Ministry of Economy and Finance's introduction of fiscal rules is too lax and advocated for the establishment of a National Fiscal Supervisory Agency. Yoon Hee-sook, a member of the Planning and Finance Committee, also criticized, "The government has planned to pass on as much as 120 trillion won to the next administration," adding, "They are recklessly increasing spending without concern for the burden on the next government."