"Abuse of Veto Power, Grounds for Impeachment"... Intensifying Rhetoric Over Special Prosecutor Bill Between Ruling and Opposition Parties

Cho Kuk: "Yoon, Exceeding Intrinsic Limits... Violation of Constitution"
Opposition: "No Reason to Refuse Special Prosecutor if Honest and Truthful"
Ruling Party's Ahn Cheol-soo, Kim Woong, Yoo Ui-dong, etc. Predict 'Support Votes'

Voices calling for the National Assembly to reconsider the ‘Chaesangbyeong Special Prosecutor Act’ (Special Prosecutor Act on the Suspected Investigation Interference in the Marine Corps Chaesangbyeong Death Case) are rising day by day across the opposition camp, including the Democratic Party of Korea. The opposition is fiercely attacking President Yoon Seok-yeol’s veto of the Chaesangbyeong Special Prosecutor Act, even mentioning impeachment.

Cho Kuk, leader of the Cho Kuk Innovation Party, is speaking at the joint press conference of opposition parties and civil society condemning the request for reconsideration of the 'Chae Sang-byeong Special Prosecutor Act' held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul on the 21st.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 24th, Cho Kuk, leader of the Cho Kuk Innovation Party, said in an interview with MBC Radio’s ‘Kim Jong-bae’s Focus’ that “In the constitutional law principles studied by all legal professionals in our country, it is stated that ‘the abuse of the veto power without justifiable reason is grounds for impeachment.’ I believe President Yoon’s exercise of the veto power falls exactly under this.”

Cho added, “If there is a justifiable reason for exercising the veto power, naturally there is no problem, but rejecting a bill aimed at revealing one’s own criminal charges or those of one’s family is a typical conflict of interest,” and “Most textbooks state that this exceeds intrinsic limits and thus violates the constitution.”

Regarding the prospects for handling the Chaesangbyeong Special Prosecutor Act ahead of the National Assembly plenary session’s re-vote, he predicted, “Currently, Kim Woong, Ahn Cheol-soo, and Yoo Ui-dong of the People Power Party have expressed support for the bill, and I expect about three more to join.”

He said, “For those who lost nominations or elections to return to politics, it would likely be possible in the by-elections or supplementary elections the year after next, or the general election four years later. By then, the Yoon Seok-yeol administration will have completely lost power or ended,” adding, “This (21st National Assembly) will not see a reconsideration, but if additional support is confirmed, cracks will appear.”

On the same day, Kim Seong-hwan, a Democratic Party lawmaker, appeared on KBS Radio’s ‘Jeonggyeok Sisa’ and said, “The Chaesangbyeong Special Prosecutor Act is not a subject of partisan conflict but an issue to uncover the truth behind the unjust death of a young Korean,” and “Even the mother of the deceased, who is a member of the People Power Party, is demanding this, as are the Marine Corps comrades who are symbols of Korean conservatism. It is common sense for the public to sharply question the Yoon Seok-yeol government, which rejected the Special Prosecutor Act by framing it as a political dispute.”

Regarding why impeachment is even being mentioned against President Yoon, Rep. Kim said, “When you consider why the Yoon Seok-yeol government and the People Power Party are so desperately opposing this, it is because during the process of handing over the investigation of Chaesangbyeong’s tragic death to the police, there was some presidential channel involved, and after that channel, there was improper interference or concealment of the truth, which is increasingly being confirmed as fact.” He added, “If it were honest and truthful, there would be no reason to reject the special prosecutor. Why reject it? Isn’t it because you fear impeachment? I think that was the implication.”

The People Power Party has begun internal discipline to minimize dissenting votes. On the previous day, Choo Kyung-ho, floor leader of the People Power Party, appealed to all party members, saying, “As the ruling party, please unite once again so that we can take infinite responsibility for state administration,” and urged them to vote against the Chaesangbyeong Special Prosecutor Act in the re-vote on the 28th according to the party line. The ruling party also convened an emergency party meeting just before the re-vote to crack down on dissenting votes. So far, with Ahn Cheol-soo, Yoo Ui-dong, and Kim Woong publicly expressing support, this is interpreted as an effort to minimize additional dissenting votes.

Speaker Kim Jin-pyo of the National Assembly has stated that he will hold a plenary session on the 28th for the re-vote on the Chaesangbyeong Special Prosecutor Act even if the ruling and opposition parties do not agree on the agenda. Attention is focused on whether any of the 58 People Power Party lawmakers who lost in the general or primary elections will cast a secret ballot in favor during the anonymous vote.