Opposition Targets Prosecution Reform... Prosecutor Park Sang-yong's 'Impeachment Hearing' Approved

The National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee has decided to hold an impeachment hearing for Park Sang-yong, Deputy Chief Prosecutor of Suwon District Prosecutors' Office, on the 2nd of next month.

On the 23rd, the Legislation and Judiciary Committee held a plenary session and approved the 'Investigation Plan for the Prosecutor Impeachment Case' concerning Prosecutor Park Sang-yong. The Democratic Party believes that Prosecutor Park abused his authority by coercing false testimony from former Gyeonggi Province Peace Deputy Governor Lee Hwa-young during the investigation of the Ssangbangwool illegal remittance to North Korea case. The hearing will be held at 10 a.m. on the 2nd of next month, with a total of 34 witnesses and reference persons.

The grounds for impeachment also include the public disclosure of bribery allegations before indictment and damaging public property by smearing feces in the waiting room and restroom of the Ulsan District Prosecutors' Office building. Earlier, on July 2nd, the Democratic Party designated four incumbent prosecutors?Park Sang-yong, Kim Young-chul, Kang Baek-shin, and Eom Hee-jun?as 'corrupt prosecutors' and proposed impeachment motions against them. An impeachment hearing for Prosecutor Kim Young-chul was held on the 14th of last month.

During the committee meeting, 150 bills, including prosecution reform bills led by the opposition party, were also referred to the first subcommittee on bills. Included was the so-called 'Law Distortion Crime' amendment to the Criminal Act, proposed by Representative Lee Geon-tae. This bill, led by the Democratic Party's Prosecution Reform Task Force (TF), stipulates that if investigative agencies such as prosecutors distort the application of laws during investigation or prosecution for the purpose of punishment or exemption from punishment, they shall be punished by imprisonment for up to 10 years or disqualification. Representative Lee stated regarding the luxury bag bribery allegations involving Mrs. Kim, "If a crime was discovered but not investigated and was deliberately overlooked, the prosecutor should be punished according to the law."

Jeong Cheong-rae, Chairman of the National Assembly Judiciary Committee, is talking with Yoo Sang-beom, the ruling party's floor leader, and Kim Seung-won, the opposition party's floor leader, at the Judiciary Committee plenary meeting held at the National Assembly on the 23rd. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

The 'False Accusation Crime by Investigative Agencies' bill, proposed by Kim Yong-min, head of the Prosecution Reform TF, which punishes evidence fabrication and forced testimony by investigative agencies, was also referred to the bill subcommittee. Representative Kim pointed out that there are signs of evidence fabrication and perjury coercion in various parts of investigations by the prosecution and police. He cited the so-called 'Seoul City Spy Fabrication Case,' in which he participated as a defense attorney, and the incident involving coercion during a drinking party with former Gyeonggi Province Peace Deputy Governor Lee Hwa-young as examples.

The ruling and opposition parties also clashed over the amendment to the Prosecutors' Office Act proposed by Democratic Party Representative Jang Kyung-tae. The bill aims to prevent abuse of prosecution rights by reflecting the conviction rate relative to prosecuted cases when evaluating prosecutors' work performance. In the proposal, Representative Jang stated, "The material and psychological damage caused by appeals made mechanically or for political purposes by prosecutors is very significant, and it is necessary to reflect this in the evaluation of prosecutors' work performance." In response, a member of the People Power Party expressed concern that prosecutors might restrain investigations or prosecutions due to this awareness.

The ruling party criticized the prosecution reform bills referred to the subcommittee, led by the Democratic Party, as being aimed at protecting Representative Lee Jae-myung from judicial risks. Representative Kwak Kyu-taek argued, "Ultimately, this bill intends to intimidate the prosecutors who indicted Representative Lee and the judges who will issue guilty verdicts, in order to shield Representative Lee."