Opposition Judiciary Committee Members Visit Presidential Office: "Yoon, Please Order Immediate Halt to Political Investigations"

Search of Our Company "Unprecedented Opposition Crackdown"
President Yoon Apology and Call for Accountability of Those Involved

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jun-yi] On the afternoon of the 20th, as the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee faced another disruption, the committee members from the Democratic Party of Korea urged President Yoon Seok-yeol to halt political investigations.

Assemblyman Ki Dong-min, a member of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, held a press conference in front of the committee meeting room at the National Assembly, stating, "It is a situation where a proper government audit cannot be conducted," and criticized, "The prosecution, one of the audited agencies, applied for an arrest warrant against former Minister of National Defense Seo Wook during the audit, and just yesterday, a day before the Supreme Prosecutors' Office audit, unprecedentedly raided the opposition party's office since democratization."

Assemblyman Ki said, "Parliamentary democracy is being trampled and the audit is being obstructed," adding, "This is not a matter of ruling or opposition parties."

He continued, "Even if it is the ruling party, the chairperson should express sincere regret over the situation with fairness and composure and involve the opposition party, which would be the proper way to conduct the meeting, but are they suggesting to operate the meeting in such a state?"

He also said, "Today, I presented four demands, but there was no sincere response to any of them, and it is clear that the force behind this is neither the prosecution nor the ruling party," adding, "I am going to the Yongsan Presidential Office to deliver an open letter requesting the cessation of biased, planned investigations to convey our position to the President."

Ki Dong-min, the secretary of the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee, and committee members are holding a press conference condemning the attempted search of the Democratic Party Central Party Office in front of the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee meeting room on the 20th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

On the same day, Democratic Party members of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee held a press conference in front of the Presidential Office and delivered an open letter to President Yoon. They stated, "We ask the Ministry of Justice and the prosecution to immediately order the prosecution to stop all-out political investigations," and "We ask you to clearly state that the current oppression of the opposition party goes against the President's will."

They also demanded an apology from the President regarding the controversy over opposition party oppression, the dismissal of Prosecutor General Lee Won-seok, and disciplinary actions against Seoul Central District Prosecutor Song Kyung-ho, Deputy Chief Prosecutor Ko Hyung-gon, and Head of the Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 3 Kang Baek-shin of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office.