Opposition Park Chan-dae: "Yoon Openly 'Protecting Kim Gun-hee'... No Reason to Refuse Special Prosecutor"

Attendance at Rally Condemning Exercise of Right to Demand Retrial
"After Praising 'Rhee Syngman,' Do You Want to Set the Record for Most Vetoes?"

Park Chan-dae, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, on the 28th, strongly criticized President Yoon Seok-yeol, saying, "Is this a country where a prosecutor-turned-president openly leads the 'Kim Geon-hee shield'?"

Park Chan-dae, Floor Leader of the Democratic Party of Korea. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Park attended a rally condemning President Yoon Seok-yeol's exercise of the veto power, hosted by civic groups in front of the Seoul Press Center, and claimed, "The democratic republic of Korea has become the 'Kingdom of Kim Geon-hee.'"

Regarding the special investigation law on Mrs. Kim Geon-hee, which recently passed the National Assembly, Park said there is a high possibility that President Yoon will exercise his veto power, and questioned, "If it is not to cover up crimes committed by President Yoon himself and his spouse Kim Geon-hee, is there even one reason to refuse the special investigation?" He added, "Protecting those who have committed crimes and obstructing investigations is not fairness but a crime," emphasizing, "A president who protects crime is unqualified."

He also pointed out that President Yoon is overusing his veto power. Park said, "Since the Yoon Seok-yeol administration began, vetoes have been exercised twenty-one times, which is the second highest record after former President Rhee Syngman’s forty-five times," and sarcastically asked, "Having admired the dictator Rhee Syngman, do you want to rewrite his record?"

Park said, "Isn't a mere five-year administration fearless?" and added, "They shout about liberal democracy whenever they open their mouths, but their actual actions are exactly those of a dictator." Park stated, "The true owner of the Republic of Korea is not the president but the people," and declared, "Following the words of former President Roh Moo-hyun that 'the last fortress of democracy is the organized power of awakened citizens,' I will strive to end the tyranny of the ruthless regime with awakened citizens."