Gwak Sang-do '5 Billion Club' Acquittal Fallout... Opposition Party's Fierce Criticism of "Prosecutorial Favoritism" (Summary)

Party Leadership Launches Full Prosecutorial Offensive at Today's Supreme Council Meeting
Criticism of Kwak Sang-do's First Trial Verdict and Emphasis on Kim Gun-hee Special Prosecutor
Opposition Drives 'Kim Gun-hee Special Prosecutor + Daejang-dong Special Prosecutor' Demands

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jun-yi] The Democratic Party of Korea is intensifying its offensive against the government by highlighting the "prosecutors' lenient investigation" following the first trial acquittal of former People Power Party lawmaker Kwak Sang-do, who was mentioned as a member of the 'Daejang-dong 5 billion Club.' On the 10th, as party leader Lee Jae-myung appeared for his third prosecution investigation, the party is pressuring the prosecution by pushing for a 'Daejang-dong special prosecutor' and a 'Kim Gun-hee special prosecutor.'

Park Hong-geun, the Democratic Party floor leader, criticized the first trial acquittal of former lawmaker Kwak at the party's Supreme Council meeting, saying, "The prosecution's selective and sloppy investigation led to the court's bulletproof ruling."

He pointed out, "Another voice file reported yesterday revealed vivid evidence that former lawmaker Kwak asked Kim Man-bae for money through his son and discussed scenarios such as bonus payments while worrying about legal violations. Although such material was admitted as evidence in court, it was not recognized as proof of guilt."

He also criticized, "A voice file in which Kim mentions the real names of the 5 billion Club was released to the media. Former Supreme Court Justice Kwon Soon-il, former special prosecutor Park Young-soo, former Blue House civil affairs chief Choi Jae-kyung, former Prosecutor General Kim Soo-nam, and others are prosecutors and judges who anyone would agree wield significant power over the country. However, except for former lawmaker Kwak, investigations into the other five have effectively been halted."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Furthermore, he mentioned Lee's third prosecution appearance that morning. Floor leader Park said, "While the prosecution neglects the investigation into the 5 billion Club, it is all-in on investigating Lee. The prosecution's unreasonable tyranny, abusing public authority to fabricate charges, will surely come at a cost."

At the same meeting, Supreme Council members also uniformly criticized the ruling on former lawmaker Kwak and pointed out the inequity of Lee's investigation. Supreme Council member Jeong Cheong-rae said, "Former prosecutor Kim Hak-ui was acquitted, and former prosecutor Kwak Sang-do was acquitted. If your father is not a former prosecutor, even a 6 million won scholarship is guilty, but if your father is a former prosecutor, a 5 billion won retirement bonus is acquitted. Articles 86 and 87 of the Constitution of the Republic of Korea should be amended so that malicious prosecutors can never be appointed," he said. He added, "The opposition party leader complies with every summons from the prosecution, but President's wife Kim Gun-hee was summoned during the last presidential election over the Deutsche Motors stock manipulation allegations and has so far ignored it. The conclusion is a special prosecutor," he emphasized.

Supreme Council member Park Chan-dae also said, "The prosecution should stop summonses for humiliation, elimination of political opponents, and fabricated investigations now. The people the prosecution should summon and investigate are not Lee but Mrs. Kim, Cheon Gong, Special Prosecutor Park Young-soo, and the members of the 5 billion Club."

Following this, Supreme Council member Seo Young-kyo mentioned the first trial sentencing of former Deutsche Motors chairman Kwon Oh-soo, who is accused of stock manipulation, scheduled for that day, emphasizing the need for a special prosecutor to thoroughly investigate whether there was pressure from Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl during his tenure, why prosecutors hesitated and stalled during the investigation, and whether there was pressure from higher-ups.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Members of the party's Committee for Countermeasures Against Prosecutorial Dictatorship and Political Oppression also held a press conference at the National Assembly that afternoon, raising their voices, asking, "Why does the prosecution's blade stop in front of the 5 billion Club?"

They said, "If the prosecution had indicted former lawmaker Kwak for third-party bribery as well, appropriate punishment for the 5 billion bribery might have been possible. Instead, they have applied 'third-party bribery' charges to the opposition party leader without evidence, continuing a witch-hunt style targeted investigation, while consistently showing leniency toward former lawmaker Kwak, who clearly has evidence of receiving 5 billion."

They continued, "We ask the prosecution: Why does the prosecution's blade, which was relentless against the opposition, uniquely stop in front of the 5 billion Club? Is it because investigating former lawmaker Kwak leads to the appearance of 'prosecutorial senior' former special prosecutor Park, like the stem of a sweet potato?"

The Democratic Party plans to push forward not only the 'Kim Gun-hee special prosecutor' but also the 'Daejang-dong special prosecutor.' Party spokesperson Ahn Ho-young explained during a back briefing after the Supreme Council meeting that morning, "There was a discussion (at the closed Supreme Council meeting) that the first trial acquittal of former lawmaker Kwak is related to the prosecution's insufficient investigation and lack of prosecutorial will regarding the 5 billion Club case and the Daejang-dong case. Therefore, a special prosecutor is necessary to uncover the truth of Daejang-dong."