Choo Kyung-ho Criticizes Democratic Party: "Do They Have a Habit of Raising New Suspicions Every Day?"

Chae Sangbyeong Case... Special Prosecutor Will Be Pursued if CIO Investigation Falls Short
Compromise-Type Collective Leadership... "No In-Depth Discussions Held Yet"

On May 30, Choo Kyung-ho, floor leader of the People Power Party, criticized the Democratic Party of Korea, stating, "It seems they have a habit of raising new suspicions every day." His remarks referred to the Democratic Party's decision to include allegations of external pressure on the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) in the Chae Sang-byeong special prosecutor bill, which was introduced as the party's first official legislative proposal in the 22nd National Assembly.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

After finishing a special lecture at a workshop held at a training center in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, Choo spoke with reporters, saying, "Throughout the investigation process, they have consistently raised unverified suspicions, and now they are even suggesting allegations of external pressure in the CIO's investigation." He continued, "While the CIO's investigation is ongoing, what grounds are there for raising suspicions of external pressure? We are urging and waiting for the CIO to deliver swift and thorough results. If the investigation results are insufficient, we are prepared to pursue a special prosecutor to ensure that no doubts remain."

Regarding the Constitutional Court's decision on the same day that the comprehensive real estate holding tax (commonly known as the 'property tax'), which was expanded under the Moon Jae-in administration, does not violate the Constitution, Choo stated, "The conclusion that the property tax is constitutional is an issue that should be approached from a policy perspective." He added, "The People Power Party has previously considered abolishing the property tax and integrating it with the general real estate tax, and we submitted a property tax reform bill in 2022, the first year of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration." He further emphasized, "We actively welcome discussions within the Democratic Party regarding abolishing or easing the burden of the property tax. However, I hope that after raising these issues internally and later changing their stance, they will not label future discussions on property tax reform as tax cuts for the wealthy."

When asked about some voices within the party calling for a compromise-type collective leadership system, Choo responded, "It is difficult to comment at this time, as there has not yet been any official or in-depth discussion within the party regarding a collective or single leadership system. I will share my position once the party's discussions are concluded."

While the Democratic Party introduced its first official legislative proposal today, the People Power Party's first legislative proposal is scheduled to be announced on May 31. Choo stated, "We are collecting opinions until today, and unless there are any special circumstances, we will announce our first legislative proposal tomorrow."