"Admitting Mistakes and Apologizing Is the Path for the Democratic Party"
To Han Dong-hoon: "Apologize for the Enforcement Decree of the Prosecutor's Office Restoration"
Park Yong-jin, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, argued that the Democratic Party should apologize to the public for Representative Min Hyung-bae's 'cunning party withdrawal' and the 'neutralization of the agenda adjustment committee' that occurred during the passage of the so-called 'Complete Removal of Prosecutorial Investigation Rights Act (검수완박법).' This comes in relation to the Constitutional Court's decision affirming the validity of the law.
On the 26th, Park stated on Facebook, "Our Democratic Party must also thoroughly respect the Constitutional Court's judgment."
Earlier, on the 23rd, the Constitutional Court dismissed a dispute over authority filed by the People Power Party against the Speaker of the National Assembly, who approved and promulgated the law, by a 5 to 4 vote. While it partially acknowledged the infringement of the People Power Party lawmakers' rights due to the chairing of the Judiciary Committee chairman, it found no issue with the Speaker's act of approving and promulgating the amended law itself.
Regarding this, Park said, "What the Democratic Party must do now is to persuade the majority of the public to understand and support this direction," adding, "We must sincerely apologize to the people for Representative Min's cunning party withdrawal, which was pointed out as problematic by the Constitutional Court, the neutralization of the agenda adjustment committee that was meant to respect and deliberate minority opinions within the National Assembly, and the resulting infringement on the National Assembly's deliberation and voting rights."
Park Yong-jin, a candidate for the Democratic Party of Korea's party leader, holds a press briefing at the National Assembly Members' Office Building on the 11th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@
He continued, "Respecting the Constitutional Court's will does not mean selectively accepting only favorable conclusions, but also accepting criticisms of our mistakes," emphasizing, "Acknowledging and apologizing for the harsh criticisms directed at us and our mistakes is the path and attitude for the Democratic Party to stand on moral and political superiority."
He added, "This will help the ruling power gain trust from the people," and stated, "The power to correct the 'Restoration of Prosecutorial Investigation Rights (검수원복)' ultimately lies with public opinion."
Additionally, Park criticized Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon’s revision of the enforcement decree related to 'Restoration of Prosecutorial Investigation Rights' and demanded an apology. He said, "Minister Han's request for a constitutional dispute trial was an attempt by a member of the executive branch, who should execute rather than legislate, to infringe upon the legislative authority of the National Assembly," and criticized, "Minister Han clearly crossed the line."
He further stated, "Minister Han should apologize for the overstepped constitutional dispute trial request and the enforcement decree of 'Restoration of Prosecutorial Investigation Rights' that infringed upon the legislative branch's authority, and revise the enforcement decree in accordance with the law's intent as soon as possible."
He urged, "If the President and the Minister do not change the enforcement decree, it would be appropriate for our Democratic Party to take legislative follow-up measures inevitably."
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