D-1 for Chaesangbyeong Special Prosecutor Bill Re-vote... Intense Final Tensions Between Ruling and Opposition Parties

So far, 4 Members of the People Power Party Have Publicly Supported

As the National Assembly prepares for a re-vote on the ‘Chae Sang-byeong Special Prosecutor Act’ in the plenary session on the 28th, tensions between the ruling and opposition parties are intensifying.

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is speaking at the joint press conference held by the opposition parties and civil society condemning the request for reconsideration of the 'Chae Sang-byeong Special Prosecutor Act' at the National Assembly on the 21st. On the same day, the government, at the Cabinet meeting presided over by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, approved the request for reconsideration of the 'Special Prosecutor Act on the Investigation of Alleged External Pressure in the Death Case of Marine Chae Sang-byeong.' Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Kim Yong-min, the Democratic Party’s Deputy Floor Leader for Policy, appeared on YTN Radio’s ‘News Fighting with Bae Seung-hee’ on the 27th and said regarding the outcome of the re-vote on the Chae Sang-byeong Special Prosecutor Act, “I think the possibility is increasing.”

Deputy Floor Leader Kim said, “Meaningful investigation results are continuously coming out from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), so the justification for further delay, rejection, or dismissal is disappearing,” adding, “It seems the time has come for People Power Party lawmakers to fully accept and embrace such public sentiment. In fact, such atmospheres are being sensed within the People Power Party itself.”

Regarding the scale of dissenting votes within the ruling party, he said, “If there are more than 10 dissenting votes, the ruling party’s and government’s political momentum in the 22nd National Assembly could be significantly damaged politically,” and predicted, “A meaningful number of dissenting votes can be expected.”

Within the People Power Party, four lawmakers?Kim Woong, Ahn Cheol-soo, Yoo Ui-dong, and Choi Jae-hyung?have publicly expressed support for the Special Prosecutor Act, and the party is making a desperate effort to prevent additional dissenting votes through party-level discipline. This is interpreted as an urgent need to maintain a united front to prevent President Yoon Seok-youl’s veto from leading to the adoption of the special prosecutor through a National Assembly re-deliberation.

On the same day, Lee Sang-min, a People Power Party lawmaker, expressed a negative stance in an interview with SBS Radio’s ‘Kim Tae-hyun’s Political Show,’ saying, “Unilaterally pushing through (the Chae Sang-byeong Special Prosecutor Act re-vote pushed by the Democratic Party) will neither achieve the purpose of the special prosecutor nor will it do anything but further amplify social controversy.” Lee said, “There are unclear parts, so I think a special prosecutor is necessary to resolve public suspicions,” but he pointed out, “It is wiser to use political skills to pass it rather than the Democratic Party pushing through with numerical superiority to force President Yoon Seok-youl and the People Power Party to submit.”

Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo wrote on his Facebook the day before, “If the ruling party fails to protect the president and becomes disorganized, President Yoon will have no choice but to make a grave decision,” adding, “When the June National Assembly opens, an overwhelming majority of opposition lawmakers and hardline opposition groups will focus their attacks on the Yoon administration.” He said, “If the People Power Party, as the ruling party, fails to unite with President Yoon and protect him, and instead becomes fragmented and disorganized, President Yoon will have no choice,” and “In that case, the People Power Party will fail to even be the ruling party, falling into a minority party and possibly becoming a miscellaneous party.”

He continued, “A party led by people who only pursue immediate benefits and personal interests will inevitably walk the path of extinction,” emphasizing, “It is unacceptable that this party, which I have been part of for over 30 years, is thrown into chaos by a few unidentified outsiders. Develop self-sustainability. That is the only way to survive.”