Kim Tae-heum: "If Ahn Cheol-soo and others support the 'Chae Sang-byeong Special Prosecutor,' they should leave the party"

Kim Tae-heum, Governor of Chungnam Province

Kim Tae-heum, Governor of Chungnam Province, commented on the Democratic Party's adoption of the 'Chae Sang-byeong Special Prosecutor Act,' asking, "What exactly is the purpose of the Chae Sang-byeong special prosecutor?" and stating, "It is not something to be used as a political tool by the majority party, like Jo Ja-ryong wielding an old sword."

On the same day, Governor Kim posted on SNS, "A special prosecutor is appointed when investigations are insufficient or when external pressure prevents uncovering the truth, and the public cannot accept the outcome," adding, "It is unacceptable to politically use the special prosecutor by ignoring the separation of powers, monopolizing the nomination rights of special prosecutor candidates, and fundamentally depriving the president of the appointment authority through toxic clauses."

He continued, "The Chae Sang-byeong case is a regrettable and heartbreaking incident, but it is nothing more or less than a safety accident that occurred during a military rescue operation."

Governor Kim criticized, "Democratic Party lawmakers who deny the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) that they unilaterally established during the previous government and now call for a special prosecutor?who exactly is this special prosecutor for?"

He further asserted, "The subjects for special prosecution should be the case of a public official who went missing in the West Sea, was burned alive in North Korea, and the cover-up of that incident; the Blue House's interference in the Ulsan mayoral election, a notorious political manipulation case following the March 15 fraudulent election; and the case involving First Lady Kim Jung-sook's India tour."

Governor Kim pointed out, "If Democratic Party lawmakers enjoyed success by shaking up the general election, they should now focus on livelihood issues, and if they criticized cuts to R&D budgets, they should be working on suspending regulations or laws that hinder future industries."

He concluded by saying, "Lawmakers like Ahn Cheol-soo support the special prosecutor with absurd logic, but since the party has set opposition to the Chae Sang-byeong Special Prosecutor Act as its official stance, those who support it should leave the party."