'Strategy to Pull Away Ruling Party Defectors'... "Special Inspector is a Diversion to Block Special Prosecutor"
The Democratic Party of Korea is considering reducing the scope of investigation in the 'Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor Act,' which aims to uncover the truth behind various allegations against First Lady Kim Geon-hee, while also allowing a third party to recommend the special prosecutor.
This is interpreted as a strategy to secure defections from the ruling party necessary for the passage of the special prosecutor law during a re-vote, which President Yoon Seok-yeol can initiate by exercising his veto power, by reducing the so-called 'poison clauses' that the ruling party has criticized.
The scope of investigation specified in the third 'Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor Act' proposed by the Democratic Party on the 17th of last month includes 13 cases such as the Deutsche Motors stock manipulation allegations and related incidents discovered during the investigation process.
According to the special prosecutor law proposed by the Democratic Party, the special prosecutor can be recommended by one person each from the Democratic Party and non-negotiating groups. Since the ruling party has continuously raised issues regarding the clause that only the opposition can recommend the special prosecutor, the Democratic Party believes that revising this clause will reduce the ruling party's grounds to reject the special prosecutor law.
A Democratic Party official said, "The allegations related to First Lady Kim are so significant that we cannot grant the government and ruling party the right to recommend the special prosecutor," adding, "People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon has indicated that he can accept a third-party recommendation method regarding the 'Chae Sang-byeong Special Prosecutor Act,' so if the special prosecutor for the 'Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor Act' is appointed in the same way, it will be difficult to refuse."
He also criticized the People Power Party's ongoing efforts to recommend candidates for the special inspector as "a diversion tactic to block the special prosecutor law." He emphasized, "The special inspector system is a measure to prevent misconduct such as state affairs manipulation, but isn't the controversy already underway? Right now, passing the special prosecutor law is more urgent than recommending candidates for the special inspector."
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