"Are You Sane?" Kim Geon-hee and Chae Sang-byeong Special Prosecutor Law, Clash Between Ruling and Opposition Ahead of Judiciary Committee Approval

Kim Geon-hee and Chae Sang-byeong Special Prosecutor Act Expected to be Processed Today
If the plenary session is held on the 12th, the ruling party is likely to filibuster

"Are you out of your mind to say someone could go to jail?" (Kwak Gyu-taek, People Power Party lawmaker)

"Lawmaker Kwak Gyu-taek, are you out of your mind?" (Jung Cheong-rae, Chair of the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee)

"I am of sound mind." (Lawmaker Kwak)

Jeong Cheong-rae, Chairman of the National Assembly Judiciary Committee, is striking the gavel at the plenary meeting of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee held at the National Assembly on the 27th. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

As the 'Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor Act' and the 'Chae Sang-byeong Special Prosecutor Act,' which allows the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court to recommend a special prosecutor, are about to pass the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee, the ruling and opposition parties clashed. Despite continued opposition from the ruling party, the opposition is expected to handle the bills in the plenary session of the National Assembly soon to bring up allegations related to Mrs. Kim at the Chuseok table.

On the 11th, the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee held a plenary meeting at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, and put the Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor Act and the Chae Sang-byeong Special Prosecutor Act on the agenda. The bills are expected to be processed as early as that day. Once the Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor Act and the Chae Sang-byeong Special Prosecutor Act pass the committee, they will be referred to the plenary session after a one-day consideration period. The Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor Act focuses on investigating allegations against Mrs. Kim, including stock price manipulation, luxury handbag bribery, and recently surfaced allegations of interference in candidate selection. The Chae Sang-byeong Special Prosecutor Act adds provisions allowing the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court to recommend a special prosecutor and granting the opposition veto power.

As soon as the committee meeting began, lawmakers from both sides clashed. When Minister of Justice Park Seong-je raised concerns about the fact that only a specific party effectively holds the right to recommend a special prosecutor, Chair Jung said, "Public officials must maintain political neutrality. There have been cases where violating this led to imprisonment." In response, People Power Party lawmakers protested that Chair Jung had crossed the line. When People Power Party lawmaker Song Seok-jun pointed out that it was "an unnecessary remark for the proceedings," Chair Jung replied, "I was telling them to be cautious."

The opposition party is emphasizing the Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor Act the most. The Democratic Party has accelerated the process of the Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor Act following the emergence of Mrs. Kim's 'interference in candidate selection' allegations. No Jong-myeon, the Democratic Party floor spokesperson, told reporters the day before, "The newly proposed Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor Act includes violations of the Public Official Election Act," adding, "The statute of limitations for the Public Official Election Act expires after six months, so there is a possibility it will pass before Chuseok."

The opposition has also been focusing on allegations against Mrs. Kim during the government questioning sessions that started this week. This is interpreted as a strategic move to justify the Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor Act. On the 9th, Democratic Party lawmaker Park Ji-won, the first questioner in the political sector government questioning, stated, "The public calls Kim Geon-hee the president, Yoon Seok-yeol's spouse, and there is talk that the number one power figure is Kim Geon-hee." Following this, Democratic Party lawmaker Seo Young-kyo also mentioned the controversy over Mrs. Kim's 'emperor-style investigation,' pointing out, "No matter how much she is the president's wife, the Minister of Justice should not behave like that."

If the Local Currency Act, which the Democratic Party is pushing as party policy, is also handled in the plenary session, confrontation with the ruling party seems inevitable. The ruling party and government have unanimously stated that the Local Currency Act, which mandates financial support for gift certificates, infringes on the government's budgetary authority and negatively affects fiscal soundness. If the plenary session is held on the 12th, the People Power Party is expected to launch a filibuster (unlimited debate) during the Chuseok holiday. On the 6th, Shin Dong-wook, the People Power Party chief floor spokesperson, likened the Local Currency Act to "a law under the command of Representative Lee Jae-myung," stating, "No more random cash handouts are allowed."