Opposition Seven Parties Pressure for Acceptance of 'Chae Haebyeong Special Prosecutor Act' in Front of Presidential Office

Park Chandae "Truth cannot be hidden despite lies, hypocrisy, manipulation, and destruction"
Re-vote over 200 votes nullifies veto... Opposition "We will persuade the ruling party"

Seven opposition parties, including the Democratic Party of Korea, urged the acceptance of the 'Chae Haebyeong Special Prosecutor Act' in front of the Presidential Office. This was the second joint press conference held by the opposition bloc following the one on the 11th, with tensions rising ahead of the Cabinet meeting.

On the morning of the 20th at 11 a.m., the opposition bloc held a joint press conference in front of the Presidential Office in Yongsan, Seoul, demanding President Yoon Seok-yeol not to veto the 'Chae Haebyeong Special Prosecutor Act.' With expectations that President Yoon would exercise his veto power on the special prosecutor law at the Cabinet meeting on the 21st, the seven opposition parties spoke with one voice. The parties participating in the conference were the Democratic Party, the Joguk Innovation Party, the Reform New Party, the Progressive Party, the Basic Income Party, the New Future Party, and the Justice Party.

Park Chan-dae, Floor Leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, Hwang Un-ha, Floor Leader of the Innovation Party for Justice, and Heo Eun-ah, Leader of the Reform New Party, are shouting slogans at the joint press conference of the opposition parties urging the acceptance of the Marine Corps Special Prosecutor Act held in front of the Presidential Office in Yongsan, Seoul, on the morning of the 20th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Park Chan-dae, the floor leader of the Democratic Party, fiercely criticized at the conference, saying, "The Special Prosecutor Act for the fallen Marine is a solemn order from the people demanding the state fulfill its basic duty to protect the lives and safety of its citizens," and added, "If the reasonable and common-sense demands of the people are ignored, it will only face fierce resistance." He continued, "The president's continuous 'blind veto exercises' are a destruction of constitutional values and politics," and stated, "Underestimating the people's anger is a shortcut to the downfall of the administration."

Earlier at 9:30 a.m., Joguk Innovation Party leader Jo Guk spoke. He said, "The claim that the procedure must be completed because the police and the Corruption Investigation Office are investigating is absurd," and questioned, "President Yoon was a dispatched prosecutor during the Choi Soon-sil special prosecutor investigation; was he deployed only after the investigative agencies had completed their investigations?" He then pointed out, "The president's right to request reconsideration and veto power is not a power to be used arbitrarily like drinking bomb shots," and added, "It should only be exercised when there are very serious procedural or substantive problems."

On the 20th, elected members including Jo Guk, leader of the Jo Guk Innovation Party, and Hwang Unha, floor leader, held a press conference in front of the Presidential Office in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, urging acceptance of the special investigation by the Marine Corps. Photo by Jo Yongjun jun21@

The 'Chae Haebyeong Special Prosecutor Act' was passed solely by the opposition parties in the National Assembly plenary session on the 2nd, with the ruling People Power Party walking out. Immediately after the bill's passage, Jeong Jin-seok, Chief Secretary of the Presidential Office, criticized, saying, "It is very regrettable that the Special Prosecutor Act was unilaterally pushed through even changing the agenda," and added, "The Corruption Investigation Office and the police are already conducting a full-scale investigation." This was interpreted as not recognizing the legitimacy of the special prosecutor law and hinting at the exercise of veto power. President Yoon can request reconsideration (exercise veto power) within 15 days from the 7th, when the bill was transmitted to the government.

The opposition is expected to increase pressure on the government and ruling party if President Yoon exercises his veto. The Democratic Party will hold a condemnation rally in front of the main stairs of the National Assembly building at 2 p.m. on the 21st. The Joguk Innovation Party plans to hold an 'emergency debate' at the National Assembly Members' Office Building on the 21st, addressing the issue that the president's veto power exercised based on private interests may be unconstitutional.

The opposition is also preparing to make every effort to pass the bill during the reconsideration vote. If more than 200 members of the National Assembly, equivalent to two-thirds of the total members, agree on the 'Chae Haebyeong Special Prosecutor Act,' the president's veto will be nullified. Kim Jun-woo, leader of the Justice Party, said at the press conference, "If the veto is exercised tomorrow, we will definitely pass the special prosecutor law through a reconsideration vote within the 21st National Assembly, persuading not only the opposition but also sensible and conscientious conservative members of the People Power Party."