People Power Party 'Sharpening in Autumn'... From Overdrive Prevention Law to National Investigation (Comprehensive)

Yoon Seok-yeol's National Assembly Attendance Fails Due to Ruling Party Opposition...Retry on 26th

Kim Jong-in, the Emergency Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, held an urgent press conference at the National Assembly on the 25th regarding Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae's disciplinary request against Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyemin] On the 25th, the People Power Party strongly criticized Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae's decision to suspend Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol from his duties and launched an all-out offensive.

They proposed the so-called 'Choo Mi-ae Rampage Prevention Act,' held an emergency press conference to sharply criticize Minister Choo, and visited the Supreme Prosecutors' Office to verify the facts. They are also pushing for a parliamentary audit of Minister Choo, convening the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee, and attempting to have Minister Choo and Prosecutor General Yoon appear again.

On the morning of the same day, the People Power Party submitted the so-called 'Choo Mi-ae Rampage Prevention Act' to the agenda office, led by Representative Jo Su-jin. The main point is to newly establish a provision that punishes 'public officials who abuse their authority to obstruct investigations and trials' with up to 7 years in prison, extending the current maximum 5-year imprisonment under the Criminal Act for abuse of authority and obstruction of official duties by deception. Representative Jo explained the background of the proposal, saying, "Urgent legislation is needed to prevent Minister Choo's personnel massacre, abuse of inspection and investigative command rights, and unprecedented suspension of the Prosecutor General from duty."

People Power Party members of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee demanded the convening of a full committee meeting on the 26th as well. They stated, "We have confirmed Prosecutor General Yoon's intention to appear," and "If Yoon Hojung, the chairman of the committee from the Democratic Party, refuses to request his attendance, we plan to demand his appearance even under the name of the People Power Party's floor leader."

Initially, they tried to start the full committee meeting alone on the same day, but Chairman Yoon convened the meeting and adjourned it after about 10 minutes, thwarting the plan to summon Prosecutor General Yoon to the National Assembly. Immediately after the adjournment, People Power Party members of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee submitted a request again to convene a full committee meeting at 10 a.m. on the 26th.

Kim Do-eup, the secretary-general (fourth from the left), and Jang Je-won, member of the National Assembly (third from the left), along with other People Power Party members of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee, are visiting the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on the 25th to verify facts related to the inspection of Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Afterwards, People Power Party members of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee visited the Supreme Prosecutors' Office to verify the truth of the inspection results. Representative Kim explained, "The Ministry of Justice unilaterally disclosed the inspection results through the minister's mouth without guaranteeing the right to rebuttal and abruptly suspended the duties. We came to the Supreme Prosecutors' Office to check whether the inspection was properly conducted and whether there were procedures or processes to verify the facts during the inspection."

Emergency committee chairman Kim Jong-in and floor leader Joo Ho-young held an emergency press conference that day, demanding a parliamentary audit of Minister Choo.

Floor leader Joo directed his remarks at Democratic Party leader Lee Nak-yeon, who expressed intentions to push for a parliamentary audit of Prosecutor General Yoon, saying, "I am reminded of the proverb 'the one who farted is the one who gets angry.' We should promptly conduct a parliamentary audit not of Prosecutor General Yoon but of Minister Choo, who has sufficient grounds for abuse of power, overreach, and unconstitutionality."

Chairman Kim said, "Looking at the matter related to the suspension of duties, I doubt whether it truly corresponds to the suspension of the Prosecutor General's duties. I am skeptical whether it was an appropriate level for the future of our country's prosecution," and criticized, "It is a scene where the elected power fails to exercise restraint and destroys the basic order of democracy."