Won Hee-ryong "What was the Ministry of Justice doing amid the opposition Kim Geon-hee special prosecutor offensive?"
Han Dong-hoon "The Ministry of Justice does not conduct investigations"
Han Dong-hoon, former Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, rebutted concerns from some party members on the 24th that the promotion of the special prosecutor law by Chae Sang-byeong could be perceived as an attack on President Yoon Suk-yeol. He said, "Considering the current public sentiment and the situation so far, I believe presenting such a persuasive and reasonable alternative is truly the way to save and protect our Yoon Suk-yeol government and the People Power Party."
Earlier that morning, when reporters met Han at the National Assembly communication office and mentioned that some party members view the special prosecutor law itself as an attack on the president, causing confusion in the party's parliamentary strategy and concerns among party members, Han responded accordingly.
Previously, after concluding his press conference for the July 23 party leadership election, Han stated that the government lost the opportunity to dispel public doubts and that the People Power Party should be the first to propose the special prosecutor law. He also pointed out that the special prosecutor should be appointed based on recommendations from the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, not the law proposed by the Democratic Party, so that both ruling and opposition parties can agree on it.
When asked by a reporter, "There are mixed evaluations of the party sentiment after yesterday's press conference. Do you think the party sentiment will ultimately follow the public sentiment?" Han replied, "Our People Power Party is a healthy party, and it is an inclusive and flexible mass party. Naturally, I believe the party sentiment and the public's heart will align."
Regarding Rep. Na Kyung-won's criticism, which implied that if the special prosecutor law proposed by Chae Sang-byeong is accepted based on public opinion polls, would Han Dong-hoon's special prosecutor also be accepted if the opposition party proposed it and the polls were favorable, Han said, "If you went that far, I won't particularly evaluate it further."
Han also expressed a critical stance on the opposition's claim that the special prosecutor law must be passed because the preservation period for phone records from the President's Office and Ministry of National Defense ends on the 19th of next month, the first anniversary of Chae Sang-byeong's death in the line of duty. Han said, "Isn't the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) already conducting a very thorough investigation?" and added, "I think the CIO has already secured everything." He continued, "The materials and call records that have come out are even leaked outside to the extent that reporters know about them. What more is there to do?" and countered, "That doesn't seem right. If that's necessary, you could request it from the CIO. I'm not saying the CIO should stop investigating."
Regarding former Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Hee-ryong, another party leadership candidate, who attended a study meeting of first-term lawmakers that morning and criticized the opposition's special prosecutor offensive related to suspicions of stock price manipulation involving First Lady Kim Keon-hee and Deutsche Motors by asking, "What has our Ministry of Justice done?" Han rebutted, "The investigation is not conducted by the Ministry of Justice." He added, "The Ministry of Justice is not exercising its investigative authority under our government's policy. Criticisms are a matter of evaluation, so I will not respond to each one individually."
When asked about his vision for pension reform, Han mentioned, "We need to create a structure that sufficiently listens to the younger generation." He explained, "The very difficult reason for pension reform is that no one is at fault, and there is no culprit. Also, there is no solution that satisfies everyone, which is a limitation." He pointed out, "This pain must be shared by everyone, but there are generational differences in who actually has to bear it." Since the perception that the burden on the younger generation will continue to increase causes them to feel disadvantaged, he emphasized the need to allow direct participation in deciding the reform plan.
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