Delivery of Accompaniment Orders for 7 People Including Afternoon Kim Yeo-sa
On the 1st, the National Assembly Steering Committee clashed from the start over the attendance of First Lady Kim Geon-hee as a witness and the recommendation of candidates for a permanent special prosecutor during the audit of the Presidential Secretariat. In the process, lawmakers from both ruling and opposition parties exchanged loud voices and harsh words, escalating into an emotional confrontation.
On the same day, the Steering Committee held a plenary session at the National Assembly and passed a revision to the National Assembly rules, led by the opposition party, to exclude the ruling party's recommendation of candidates for a permanent special prosecutor when investigating the president and his family.
People Power Party lawmaker Bae Jun-young argued, "(The permanent special prosecutor proposal) infringes on the president's appointment authority and violates the principle of separation of powers," adding, "It cannot guarantee political neutrality and fairness, and I absolutely cannot participate in such a meaningless act."
The amendment on the permanent special prosecutor will be implemented once it passes the Legislation and Judiciary Committee and the plenary session. However, if the amendment passes the plenary session, the ruling party is expected to request President Yoon Seok-yeol to exercise his right of reconsideration (veto).
The delivery of a witness accompaniment order due to First Lady Kim Geon-hee's absence from the audit was also announced.
Park Chan-dae, the Steering Committee chairman, said, "I ask the Chief of the Presidential Secretariat and the Deputy Chief of the Presidential Security Service to take measures to have First Lady Kim Geon-hee, and witnesses Lee Won-mo (Secretary for Public Office Discipline) from the Presidential Secretariat, Kang Ki-hoon (Administrative Officer of the Office for National Planning), Hwang Jong-ho (Office for National Planning), and Jeong Sang-seok, Kim Shin, and Kim Tae-hoon from the Presidential Security Service appear at the audit venue by 2 p.m." Earlier, on the 26th, the Steering Committee, led solely by the opposition, had adopted 33 witnesses including the First Lady, but most key witnesses did not attend.
Chairman Park warned, "For witnesses who fail to appear without justifiable reasons, a witness accompaniment order can be issued according to the law, and they can be subject to prosecution."
In response, the ruling party shouted, "Is this reasonable? The National Assembly is based on consensus. The constitutional order of the Republic of Korea is being shaken." When ruling party lawmakers rushed to the chairman's podium to protest, Chairman Park shouted, "Please sit down and talk. I will not grant speaking rights to those who speak standing up." Then, ruling party lawmakers raised their voices, demanding an apology for the opposition's unilateral handling of key agenda items, saying, "Apologize first, chairman, apologize."
During this process, the atmosphere intensified with exchanges such as "Where are you touching?" "Don't touch," and "Sit down and talk" between ruling party lawmakers and Chairman Park. Eventually, Chairman Park warned, "I have the authority to preside." The confrontation between lawmakers from both parties lasted about 10 minutes, maintaining a tense atmosphere.
On the 1st, at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, ruling and opposition lawmakers engaged in a heated debate regarding the issuance of a summons for Mrs. Kim Geon-hee during the audit of the Presidential Secretariat, National Security Office, and Presidential Security Service at the Steering Committee meeting. (Photo by Oh Ji-eun)
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