Democratic Party: "Han Dong-hoon Must Take Responsibility for Constitutional Court Ruling and Resign"

Democratic Party: "Constitutional Court Ruling Confirms Illegality of Prosecutor Reinstatement Enforcement Decree, Must Be Corrected Immediately"

Regarding the Constitutional Court ruling on the Prosecutors' Office Act, which limits the investigative authority of prosecutors (so-called "Geomsu Wanbak" law), the Democratic Party of Korea called for the resignation of Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon. The Democratic Party argued that the Ministry of Justice's enforcement ordinances, which expanded investigative powers contrary to the purpose of the law revision, must be corrected.

On the 24th, Park Hong-geun, the floor leader of the Democratic Party, said at an on-site Supreme Council meeting held in Ulsan, "Minister Han should take responsibility for this Constitutional Court ruling and resign." Park said, "As the Minister of Justice and a former prosecutor, Minister Han could not have been unaware of the 'basic fact' that he lacked 'standing to sue' while proceeding with the lawsuit," and criticized, "Minister Han, intoxicated with arrogance as the second-in-command of the Yoon Seok-yeol prosecutor regime and power, shamelessly challenged the legislative authority of the National Assembly."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

He also pointed out problems with the Ministry of Justice's enforcement ordinances that contradict the purpose of the law revision. Park said, "The Constitutional Court ruling clearly stated that the prosecutorial reform bill passed by the National Assembly 'reduced the scope of crimes that prosecutors can directly investigate,'" and added, "The minister's arbitrary interpretation of 'etc.' in 'corruption crimes, economic crimes, etc.' to re-expand prosecutorial investigative authority clearly confirms that this is an unconstitutional and illegal enforcement ordinance that blatantly violates the superior law."

Park Hong-geun stated, "Since the Constitutional Court confirmed that investigative and prosecutorial rights are not exclusive to prosecutors, the Democratic Party will do its best to complete the normalization of the prosecution and the establishment of the so-called Korean-style FBI, the Serious Crimes Investigation Office."

Park Seong-jun, spokesperson for the Democratic Party, also commented, "Minister Han insists that he 'finds it difficult to sympathize' with the Constitutional Court's judgment, but I want to ask whether Minister Han is trying to stand above the judiciary because the legislative branch is insufficient," and said, "If the minister does not intend to deny the Constitutional Court ruling, he should take responsibility for what he has done so far and resign."