Kim Chongin: "No Administration Lasts Forever... Ruling Party Should Wisely Accept Special Prosecutor"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy, Reporter Kim Hyemin] On October 27, Kim Chongin, Chairman of the Emergency Response Committee of the People Power Party, urged the Democratic Party of Korea to accept a special prosecutor for the Lime and Optimus scandals, stating, "Accepting a special prosecutor is the wise course of action."

Attending a general assembly of party lawmakers at the National Assembly that day, Chairman Kim said, "No administration lasts forever. This administration must recognize the current situation with a clear perspective and accept a special prosecutor to ensure a proper investigation."

He continued, "If the ruling party rejects this and handles the case under the direction of Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae, the public will never trust the process, and the case will be dragged out indefinitely. The ruling party must keep in mind that if the administration changes and this incident is repeated, it could become another tragedy in political history."

Chairman Kim also commented on the conflict between Minister Choo Mi-ae and Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol, saying, "It looks as if the prosecutor general and the minister of justice, both appointed by the president, are fighting like enemies. Such a phenomenon is rarely seen in any democracy around the world."

He added, "I believe all citizens can guess why this is happening. I do not understand why the ruling party thinks it would only be comfortable if the prosecutor general were removed from office, as if they have so much to hide." He went on, "No crime has ever remained hidden in history. Even looking at our short constitutional history, do they really think such actions by the government and ruling party can last forever? The public did not give them 180 seats in the National Assembly so they could do as they please with their majority."

Chairman Kim also criticized the Democratic Party for questioning the qualifications of the opposition's nominee for the High-ranking Officials' Corruption Investigation Agency (Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials) recommendation committee, saying, "They start with criticism because they are worried that their preferred candidate for the agency head might not be appointed."

He stated, "If the legal professionals in our country and the people can accept a reasonable nominee for the agency head, there is no reason for our party's committee member to reject it. The ruling party's threatening remarks indicate that they want to appoint someone to their liking to carry out reforms, and otherwise, there would be no reason for such behavior."

Chairman Kim concluded, "The Democratic Party continues to attack us because they believe that, with their numbers, they can do anything. We have no choice but to stand firm and fight back. The only thing we can trust is the people. I urge everyone to work together so that the People Power Party can earn the trust of the public."