Allegations of Report Solicitation: Ruling Party Says "Prosecutor-Party Collusion Is the Core" vs. Opposition Claims "NIS and Corruption Investigation Office Involvement"

Yoon Han-hong, the secretary of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee from the People Power Party, attended the plenary session held on the 6th at the National Assembly for urgent questioning related to the 'allegation of former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol's involvement in instigating complaints.' Before the meeting began, he demanded the attendance of Prosecutor General Kim Oh-soo. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] On the 14th, the ruling and opposition parties clashed head-on over the allegations of former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol’s ‘solicitation of prosecution’ during the plenary session of the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee. When the opposition party attacked the issue as a ‘political operation involving the National Intelligence Service and the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO),’ the Democratic Party mounted an all-out defense, calling it a ‘claim that distorts the essence.’

At the plenary session of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee held that day, the ruling party defined the incident as an attempt by the prosecution to interfere in the general election. In particular, they pointed out that the attack on Cho Seong-eun, former vice-chair of the Future United Party’s election countermeasures committee, was an ‘attack on the messenger,’ and that the materials submitted to the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office were being reported in the media. Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Young-bae said, "In a media report today, materials submitted from Cho Seong-eun’s cellphone were captured," adding, "If those materials are sourced from the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, it constitutes the crime of disclosing information about an ongoing investigation. Since she is a whistleblower, if the materials submitted to the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office were reported in the media, it is a serious problem."

Regarding this, Minister of Justice Park Beom-gye also stated, "The essence and core of this issue currently seem to be whether part of the prosecution organization was linked to a specific political party, related to the solicitation of prosecution allegations." Although the opposition is escalating the solicitation allegations by involving the National Intelligence Service, the Democratic Party is interpreted to have reiterated that the starting point of the issue is ‘collusion between the prosecution and the ruling party.’

On the other hand, the opposition party responded with full force, framing it as biased investigation and political operation. Yoon Han-hong, a lawmaker from the People Power Party, said, "The CIO is conducting a very biased investigation, and the National Intelligence Service is even involved in political operations," adding, "Since a former Democratic Party aide is conducting the investigation and the CIO chief is visibly acting under the ruling party’s instructions," he demanded the CIO chief’s appearance. In response, Democratic Party lawmaker Park Joo-min said, "Due to necessary bill reviews, the CIO chief is scheduled to appear around the 24th."

Meanwhile, Minister Park testified on the 13th during the National Assembly’s political sector interpellation in response to a question from Democratic Party lawmaker Baek Hye-ryun, stating, "Former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol and Prosecutor Son Jun-sung had a very special relationship." Regarding the retention of Prosecutor Son Jun-sung as the head of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office’s Investigation Information Policy Division, Minister Park said, "I did not directly receive a request to retain him from the (prosecutor) general, but I recall that such a message was conveyed," indicating that the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office had made the request.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.