Prosecution and Media Reform 'Speed Gap'... Yoon Ho-jung Says Media Reform "Within This Year" vs Park Wan-joo "Next Administration"

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Ju-yeon] Yoon Ho-jung and Park Wan-joo, candidates for the next floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, showed differences in pace regarding prosecution reform and media reform. While Yoon stated that he would handle the issues swiftly, Park discussed adjusting the speed, saying that setting a fixed timeline could lead to another framing issue.

Democratic Party floor leader candidates Yoon Ho-jung and Park Wan-joo are attending a joint speech and debate session held at the central party office in Yeouido, Seoul on the 14th, shaking hands./Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

At the second joint debate for floor leader candidates on the 15th, Yoon stated regarding media reform, "I will ensure that this law is passed within this year."

Yoon said, "I understand that the media reform bill has already been submitted to the National Assembly," adding, "A punitive damages system for fake news and false information must be introduced." He continued, "Portals are failing to fulfill their duties as media, but since portals also play a role as media, they should be regulated equally." He expressed regret, saying, "Although this law is currently under discussion, it has not yet reached the stage of full-scale processing."

In contrast, Park said, "I feel the necessity of media reform, but it should not be pushed through by force," diagnosing, "Expanding the frontlines before the presidential election under the frame that it restricts freedom of the press is undesirable." He then suggested, "How about discussing it meticulously, reflecting the voices of the people, and implementing it in the next government?" showing a contrast with Yoon in terms of speed.

Regarding prosecution reform, Yoon showed 'boldness,' while Park showed 'caution.'

Yoon said, "As the chairman of the Special Committee on Prosecution Reform, I am preparing the second phase of prosecution reform measures," adding, "If I become floor leader, I will inform the public why the second phase of prosecution reform is necessary."

He explained, "The principle of the Democratic Party, as instructed by President Moon Jae-in, is to ensure that the first phase of prosecution reform is stably established and promoted without damaging the national crime investigation capabilities," and added, "From that principle, we are discussing how to efficiently separate the prosecution's investigative and prosecutorial powers to prevent excessive prosecution investigations." Yoon emphasized, "We must gather all opinions not only from Democratic Party discussions but also from interested parties, experts, and the public." He stressed that if he becomes floor leader, he will hold legislative policy hearings to summon all related parties to the National Assembly to hear their views.

On the other hand, Park said, "The 21st National Assembly and the Democratic Party's 174 seats still have three years left," adding, "We must not overlook this." He said, "The first phase of prosecution reform was carried out in a somewhat modified form, not through bipartisan agreement, during the 20th National Assembly when Yoon Ho-jung was the chairman of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, and the investigative authority was not perfectly separated, resulting in the establishment of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO). The public has not yet experienced what the first case of the CIO is or what results from the separation of investigative powers," emphasizing the need for in-depth discussion.

Park pointed out, "If you say it will be finished by a certain time, like within this year, it could lead to another framing issue," and criticized, "Even within the party, the exact content has never been shared or reported to all members." He also said, "The goal is to proceed steadily by sufficiently reflecting how the public thinks," and added, "We should not set a timeline and say it must be finished within the Moon administration."