With "Lee Jae-myung's Shielding Attempt"
Opposition: "The Legislature's Natural Duty"
The 'Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor Act' passed the National Assembly Judiciary Committee plenary session solely by the opposition party, with ruling party members absent.
On the afternoon of the 8th, the National Assembly Judiciary Committee approved the 'Act on the Appointment of a Special Prosecutor for the Truth Investigation of Stock Price Manipulation Cases Involving Kim Geon-hee, Spouse of President Yoon Seok-yeol' during its plenary session. The ruling party, People Power Party, protested the opposition's unilateral handling of the bill by not participating in the vote and entered the meeting room after the bill was passed.
Before the vote, the Judiciary Committee attempted to form an agenda adjustment committee at the ruling party's request to reconcile differences, but no agreement was reached.
The agenda adjustment committee meeting, held at 2 p.m., was ended by the opposition, which held the majority, after just 30 minutes. The committee members present included Democratic Party lawmakers Kim Seung-won, Lee Geon-tae, Park Ji-won, Justice Innovation Party lawmaker Park Eun-jung, and People Power Party lawmakers Kwak Kyu-taek and Cho Bae-sook.
During the substitute debate following the bill's submission, the ruling party protested that the Democratic Party unilaterally passed a potentially unconstitutional special prosecutor law to protect party leader Lee Jae-myung.
People Power Party lawmaker Kwak Kyu-taek criticized, "As the sentencing for defendant Lee Jae-myung approaches on the 15th and 25th of this month, it seems they are trying to shield him from various angles. Isn't this about selecting a prosecutor who suits the accuser's taste and conducting investigations according to the accuser's wishes?"
Justice Minister Park Sung-jae also responded, "I have repeatedly pointed out the unconstitutionality of the special prosecutor law, and that issue remains uncorrected. It makes one wonder whether this is truly a serious reason to appoint a special prosecutor."
In response, Justice Committee Chairman Jeong Cheong-rae, a member of the Democratic Party, harshly criticized President Yoon Seok-yeol's remark at a press conference the previous day, where he called the Kim Geon-hee special prosecutor law 'an idea against the Constitution.'
Chairman Jeong said, "The president himself benefited greatly from the special prosecutor investigation into Choi Soon-sil's state affairs manipulation but says that appointing a special prosecutor for his wife is unconstitutional. If so, although with a time difference, President Yoon also committed an unconstitutional act. If a person who committed an unconstitutional act is president, that is grounds for impeachment."
Democratic Party lawmaker Jeon Hyun-hee also argued, "It is the legislature's natural duty to propose a special prosecutor law to check an executive branch that abuses its power. President Yoon's veto of all special prosecutor laws investigating himself and Kim Geon-hee is a violation of the separation of powers."
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