"Like a Hotteok Shop on Fire, Reckless" Jo Su-jin Criticizes Ruling Party's Forced Amendment of the Corruption Investigation Office Act

So Su-jin, member of the People Power Party./Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] On the 4th, Jo Sujin, a member of the People Power Party, strongly criticized the ruling Democratic Party for forcibly holding the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee (Law Committee) bill subcommittee to discuss the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Agency (HCIA) law amendment, saying, "They are pushing it recklessly as if a fire broke out at a hotteok (Korean sweet pancake) shop."

Jo said in a post on her Facebook that day, "I am furious to the point that anger rises to the top of my head. Why discuss National Assembly systems and operational improvement measures?"

She explained, "Yesterday (the 3rd) around 3 p.m., the ruling party's secretary of the Law Committee suddenly 'notified' us, saying they would hold the Law Committee bill review subcommittee at 10 a.m. on the 4th. They said they would handle the HCIA law amendment, which no one understands."

She continued, "The HCIA established by the ruling party through fast-track and forceful passage is a monstrous institution that belongs nowhere," criticizing, "It is designed so that the prosecution can arbitrarily take over and crush investigations of powerful authorities."

Targeting the Democratic Party, Jo said, "Their intention to push recklessly as if a fire broke out at a hotteok shop is too transparent," adding, "Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol is not stepping down, and even the presidential candidate Lee Nak-yeon is under pressure due to the Optimus scandal, so they want to hasten the HCIA, appoint people like 'Prosecutor Kim Yong-min' and 'Prosecutor Kim Nam-guk' to whitewash investigations of the Moon Jae-in administration."

She also pointed out, "The standing committee's bill subcommittee requires agreement between the ruling and opposition parties. It is different from the full standing committee meeting, which must be held if more than one-quarter of the members request it (a mandatory rule under the National Assembly Act)." She added sarcastically, "Well, what need is there for laws or traditions in the current National Assembly? They do whatever 'Ini' (President Moon Jae-in) and the Democratic Party want."

Jo also raised criticism about the Democratic Party's push to introduce 'video meetings' in the National Assembly standing committees and to establish a National Assembly branch office in Sejong City. She said, "Why is a National Assembly branch in Sejong City necessary when video meetings are being introduced? The Democratic Party should at least get their direction right. I don't even expect consistency. Day by day, sometimes in half a day, they only point out logical flaws verbally and have no other measures. It's frustrating."

Meanwhile, the Law Committee held the first bill review subcommittee that day to deliberate on the HCIA law amendment. The amendment includes changing the quorum for the HCIA chief candidate recommendation committee's resolution from the current 6 out of 7 members to three-fifths, effectively nullifying the opposition party's 'veto power.'