Park Hong-geun "Yoon's Extra-Constitutional Overturn, Chairman Park Must Warn"... 5 PM Plenary Session (Summary)

Park Hong-geun "People Power Party, which unilaterally broke the agreement, should be publicly warned to President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol"
Speaker Park to convene plenary session at 5 PM... 'Prosecutor's complete control reform' to be submitted

[Asia Economy Reporters Oh Ju-yeon and Kwon Hyun-ji] On the 27th, Park Hong-geun, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, requested Speaker Park Byeong-seok to publicly and sternly warn the People Power Party, which unilaterally broke the agreement on the (prosecutorial reform bill) that was mediated by the Speaker, ratified by the party caucuses, and signed by the floor leaders, and also to warn President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol, who ordered an ultra-constitutional reversal of the legislative matter decided by the National Assembly (the Speaker's mediated agreement on prosecutorial reform-related laws).

Park Hong-geun, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is greeting Kwon Seong-dong, floor leader of the People Power Party, during a meeting between the floor leaders of the two parties to discuss whether to put the 'Complete Removal of Prosecutorial Investigation Rights (Geomsu Wanbak)' bill on the agenda for the plenary session presided over by National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seok at the National Assembly on the 27th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

That afternoon, after the meeting between the Speaker and the floor leaders of both parties, Floor Leader Park told reporters, "I demanded reflection from the People Power Party for blatantly breaking the agreement and a public apology to the people and the committee chair," and made the above statement.

Floor Leader Park emphasized, "I requested an immediate declaration to stop any actions aimed at obstructing the legislative process in the National Assembly, which is to be carried out according to the ratification by the party caucuses and the agreement between the floor leaders of both parties," adding, "If these two assurances are not given, the Democratic Party will continue to push forward with the legislative process according to the agreement."

He said, "Since the Speaker expressed the position to proceed with the parliamentary schedule together with the party that accepted the final mediation proposal, I requested that the parliamentary schedule, including the plenary session, be carried out accordingly, and repeatedly urged the convening of the plenary session within today."

He continued, "I requested the convening of the plenary session to put on the agenda the decision on the session and the two bills, the Prosecutors' Office Act and the Criminal Procedure Act, commonly referred to as 'Geomsu Wanbak' (complete removal of prosecution's investigative powers)," adding, "Since the People Power Party violated the National Assembly Act and physically and violently obstructed the meeting, causing a delay of about 10 minutes, I asked for understanding of this unavoidable situation and stated that there is no problem in convening the plenary session."

After the meeting of the floor leaders of both parties that day, Speaker Park convened the plenary session at 5 p.m. As Floor Leader Park mentioned, the amendment bills to the Prosecutors' Office Act and the Criminal Procedure Act, which passed the Legislation and Judiciary Committee the previous day, are expected to be placed on the agenda.

The Democratic Party is determined to pass the prosecutorial reform bill within the April extraordinary session, while the People Power Party strongly opposes it and has announced a filibuster (unlimited debate), making a head-to-head confrontation inevitable at the plenary session that day.