"Reforms Require Timing... Prosecutorial System Reform Effectively Delayed for 5 Years if Yoon Takes Office"
[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Ju-yeon] Yoon Ho-jung, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the Democratic Party of Korea, announced on the 12th that the "Complete Removal of Prosecutorial Investigation Rights" (Geomsu Wanbak) bill aims to be promulgated at the Cabinet meeting on the 3rd of next month. This is the first time the Democratic Party, which has expressed its determination to push the bill through, has mentioned a specific timeline for the bill's passage.
On the same morning, Chairman Yoon responded to a CBS Radio host's question, "If the Geomsu Wanbak is confirmed as the party's official stance at today's Democratic Party members' meeting, are you considering passing it through the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee and plenary session within April, and having President Moon Jae-in promulgate it at the final Cabinet meeting on May 3rd?" by saying, "Yes. We aim to have it promulgated through the Cabinet's resolution."
That afternoon, the Democratic Party decided to finalize the legislative reform bill and its processing schedule as the party's official stance at the members' meeting. The Democratic Party has been determined to complete prosecutorial reform tasks within President Moon's term, and by Chairman Yoon setting a deadline for the bill's passage, it is interpreted as a firm intention to push through the Geomsu Wanbak without fail.
Regarding the People Power Party's opposition, which claims that Geomsu Wanbak is a "Lee Jae-myung corruption shield law" and "Moon Jae-in protection," intended to block investigations into the Moon administration and Senior Advisor Lee, Chairman Yoon rebutted, calling it "an expression to incite the public."
He added, "Whether the investigative authority goes to the police or remains with the prosecution, aren't they all investigative agencies under the Yoon Seok-yeol government?" and said, "The investigative agencies are not coming to the opposition party, so how could we possibly be shielding anyone?"
Targeting Kwon Seong-dong, floor leader of the People Power Party, he said, "I think this is what Floor Leader Kwon is saying, but isn't he himself a beneficiary of the privileged prosecution?" He pointed out, "Didn't he receive a non-prosecution (actually acquittal) in the case of interference in personnel at Kangwon Land? A neighboring lawmaker with much less involvement was arrested, but since he is from the prosecution, he benefited from a 'favoritism investigation' as 'one of our own'."
In response to criticism from some quarters that the timing is inappropriate and that rushing the bill is questionable, he emphasized, "There is a time for reform."
He said, "If a former Prosecutor General becomes president, prosecutorial system reform will effectively be off the table for five years," and added, "Completing prosecutorial reform before President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol's inauguration is the way to avoid missing the opportunity."
When asked if he thinks President-elect Yoon will exercise a veto against Geomsu Wanbak once he becomes president, he replied, "Yes, I think he probably will."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
