Martial Law and Special Prosecutor... Ruling and Opposition Parties' Full-Scale 'Government Questioning Battle' Before Chuseok

Opposition Questions Kim Geon-hee's Luxury Bag Receipt and Nomination Interference Allegations
Ruling Party Criticizes Martial Law, Emphasizes Government Achievements in Labor and Pensions

The National Assembly will begin a four-day session of interpellation starting from the 9th, ahead of Chuseok. The ruling and opposition parties have announced fierce confrontations over sensitive political issues that could influence public sentiment, including the prosecution investigations surrounding First Lady Kim Geon-hee and former President Moon Jae-in, as well as government allegations of martial law.

The National Assembly’s interpellation will proceed in the following order: politics on the 9th, diplomacy, unification, and security on the 10th, economy on the 11th, and education, society, and culture on the 12th. On the government side, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, Minister of Unification Kim Young-ho, Minister of Justice Park Sung-jae, and Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min are expected to attend.

The Democratic Party plans to focus on various allegations against First Lady Kim Geon-hee during the political session on the first day. Representative Park Ji-won is determined to thoroughly question the appropriateness of the decision not to prosecute regarding the investigation into Kim’s luxury handbags. They also plan to intensively probe various allegations, including Kim’s suspected interference in candidate nominations and the alleged illegal extension of the presidential residence. Representative Seo Young-kyo stated, "Allegations such as Kim’s so-called 'party affairs interference' and 'interference in the April 10 general election nominations' may constitute violations of the Public Official Election Act."

The Democratic Party also plans to pressure the government on the appropriateness of President Yoon’s veto power exercise regarding the special investigation law on Chae Sang-byeong and on allegations of a 'pro-Japanese historical view.' Representative Lee Geon-tae of the same party said, "The core issue in the Chae Sang-byeong death case is whether the president was involved, and the public is suspicious of the president," urging the government to clarify.

Democratic Party lawmaker Park Beom-gye is questioning Minister of Justice Park Seong-jae during the plenary session held at the National Assembly on the 2nd. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

On the other hand, the People Power Party plans to focus its efforts on the Democratic Party’s so-called 'martial law rumor politics' and 'legislative rampage.' They argue that the major opposition party is deliberately engaging in baseless inflammatory politics, such as 'martial law preparation rumors' and 'Dokdo erasure allegations,' to highlight an image of 'presidential impeachment.'

The ruling party is reportedly putting considerable effort into deploying aggressive lawmakers in the National Assembly interpellation regarding issues such as 'corruption allegations involving former President Moon’s family.' With President Yoon’s approval rating hovering in the high 20% range, they aim to block various allegations ahead of the Chuseok holiday and emphasize the necessity and achievements of the four major reforms in labor, pensions, education, and healthcare to boost public support.

The government will also respond to and defend against the opposition’s 'martial law' conspiracy theories. Representative Shin Dong-wook of the same party said he would question the appropriateness of a public party leader making statements about the 'martial law' conspiracy theory, which originated from a collaboration between a Democratic Party-affiliated lawyer and an extreme left-wing YouTube channel. Representative Jang Dong-hyuk plans to demand government measures to address the social confusion caused by recent rumor politics.

Meanwhile, a clash between the ruling and opposition parties is expected at the plenary session on the 12th over the passage of the Local Currency Act (Act on the Promotion of Local Love Gift Certificates). The Democratic Party has planned to pass the Local Currency Act ahead of the Chuseok holiday to appeal to public sentiment. However, the People Power Party is considering filibustering (unlimited debate) to block the bill if the opposition unilaterally pushes it through.