Park Honggeun: "Bae Hyunjin Is the Mouthpiece of President-elect Yoon... Even If She Clasped Her Fingers, It Was Still Pointing at the Speaker"

Disciplinary and Legal Actions for Violations During Prosecution Reform Bill Process
No Request Made Regarding Cabinet Meeting Schedule

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy, Reporter Naju Seok] Park Honggeun, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, announced on May 2 that disciplinary and legal actions are being considered against People Power Party lawmakers Bae Hyunjin and Kim Giheon, among others, who were at the center of controversy during the legislative process of the “Complete Deprivation of Prosecutorial Investigative Powers” (commonly referred to as “Prosecution Reform”) bill.

Appearing on MBC Radio’s “Kim Jongbae’s Focus” that day, Floor Leader Park said, “On the evening of April 22, during the handling of the agenda at the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, Representative Kim occupied the committee chair’s seat. The National Assembly Act (National Assembly Advancement Act) has clearly prohibited the occupation of the Speaker’s seat or any standing committee chair’s seat. If this occurs, it must be immediately referred to the plenary session for disciplinary action without going through the National Assembly Ethics Committee.”

He further pointed out a violation of the National Assembly Act, stating, “The same applies to entering the Speaker’s podium on April 30.”

In particular, Floor Leader Park criticized, “There were words and actions by Representative Bae that, in our view, were clearly discriminatory and hateful.” Previously, during a plenary session on April 30, Representative Bae, in a procedural speech concerning restrictions on the session schedule, said, “With your petite body, you fiercely kicked us with your shoes and climbed over People Power Party lawmakers to reach the Speaker’s podium. Is this the democracy you speak of?”

Regarding this, Floor Leader Park rebuked, “Isn’t Representative Bae the mouthpiece of President-elect Yoon? If so, she should be held to a higher standard, not just as an individual politician. No matter how she clasped her fingers before the Speaker, it was still a gesture of pointing and disrespect. How do you think the public perceives such arrogant and insolent behavior?”

Concerning possible disciplinary measures, he stated, “There are both ethical and judicial issues at stake, so we are discussing this within the party.”

Floor Leader Park also explained that he had proposed including the establishment of a Serious Crimes Investigation Agency (SCIA) in the amendment, but the People Power Party did not accept the proposal.

He said, “I suggested that we abolish prosecutorial investigative powers in 18 months, including for election crimes, but in return, if we establish the SCIA, a Korean-style FBI, within those 18 months, there would be no investigative vacuum or cause for concern. I proposed that we stipulate this in the supplementary provisions, but the People Power Party rejected it.”

Regarding the People Power Party’s protest in front of the Blue House over the prosecution reform bill, Park said, “It is incomprehensible. They are denying an agreement within the National Assembly, violating various parliamentary rules, obstructing and disrupting proceedings, and on top of that, staging a physical protest in front of the Blue House over matters that should first be discussed in the Assembly. I cannot understand how the public could accept this.”

Meanwhile, he stated that he did not ask President Moon Jae-in to postpone the Cabinet meeting schedule regarding the prosecution reform bill. Floor Leader Park said, “I have never requested a postponement. The timing of the Cabinet meeting is beyond our authority. It is entirely up to the government’s judgment.”