[Hot Interview] Filibuster's 'Last Runner' Gwak Gyutaek: "If Not for Speaker Woo, It Would Have Lasted 10 Hours"

Reading of Ihwa-young Verdict Launches Counterattack on Democratic Party
"Considering Woo Won-sik Prevention Law... Consulting with Leadership"

The last speaker in the ruling party's unlimited debate (filibuster) against the Democratic Party's sole passage of the special prosecutor law by Chae Sang-byeong was Assemblyman Gwak Gyu-taek, a former prosecutor. In an unusual move at the plenary session, Assemblyman Gwak read aloud the verdict related to the 'North Korea remittance case' involving former Gyeonggi Province Peace Vice Governor Lee Hwa-young, launching a counterattack against the Democratic Party. In response to the Democratic Party members' objections that it was "irrelevant to the agenda," Assemblyman Gwak read only about one-fifth of the verdict over three hours before changing the subject. The reason Assemblyman Gwak brought up the verdict was to assert that Representative Lee Jae-myung was an accomplice and to focus public attention on the upcoming verdict for Kim Sung-tae, chairman of Ssangbangwool Group, scheduled for the 12th. Assemblyman Gwak said that if Speaker Woo Won-sik had not interrupted, he would have spoken for "10 hours" and mentioned that he is considering proposing a 'Woo Won-sik Prevention Act.'

[Image source=Yonhap News]

He was the last speaker in the filibuster that lasted over 24 hours. What was the reaction around you?

I received many words of appreciation, especially encouragement from local constituents and party members. Fellow assembly members also called and cheered me on a lot.

Reading the verdict related to former Vice Governor Lee became a hot topic. How did you prepare for it?

(The verdict I read was) the verdict on former Vice Governor Lee's North Korea remittance case. As soon as that verdict came out, Representative Lee was indicted on the same charges, and the verdict for Kim Sung-tae, chairman of Ssangbangwool Group, is scheduled for the 12th. The North Korea remittance case will again draw attention to Representative Lee, but it seems the Democratic Party is rushing the Chae Sang-byeong special prosecutor law to push the political situation toward President Yoon Seok-yeol's veto. Since this information is not well known, the purpose was to highlight the upcoming verdict for Chairman Kim next week and to inform that Representative Lee is an accomplice.

If the Speaker had not stopped your speech, would you have continued?

Yes. I spoke for about 4 hours and 30 minutes, but the original prepared content was about 10 hours. I intended to continue speaking until midnight to block the passage of the Chae Sang-byeong special prosecutor law in the June extraordinary session. According to the rules, a vote must be held to stop a speech, but they stopped me by saying they would hold a vote to stop me.

Kwak Kyu-taek, a member of the People Power Party, is conducting an unlimited debate (filibuster) opposing the 'Chae Sang-byeong Special Prosecutor Bill' at the National Assembly plenary session on the 4th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

You also mentioned considering proposing the 'Woo Won-sik Prevention Act.'

It would codify that the Speaker cannot stop a speech during unlimited debate. I cannot propose it alone; I need to discuss it with the party leadership and fellow assembly members.