Ruling and Opposition Budget War in November with Consecutive Sentences for Lee Jae-myung
‘Prosecutor Special Activity Expenses and Special Security Expenses at 0 Won’ in Small Subcommittees
Possibility to Use as Negotiation Leverage, Final Decision Expected After December
The positions of the ruling and opposition parties on the prosecution's special activity funds have reversed every time the administration changed. In the 20th National Assembly's Judiciary Committee, the People Power Party argued for cuts, stating that special activity funds without proven usage could not be provided. The Democratic Party took the stance that since the funds had already been cut as much as possible, they could not be reduced further. Through this process, the prosecution's special activity funds decreased year by year.
The National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee's complete cut of the 'Prosecutor's Special Activity Expenses and Specific Task Expenses to 0 won' is expected to become a key flashpoint in this year's budget negotiations. On the 13th, the Ministry of Justice submitted anonymized receipts and supporting documents for the specific task expenses to the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, but hardliners within the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) advocating for prosecutorial reform are strongly voicing that the '0 won must be upheld until the end.' Ultimately, the prosecutor's special activity expenses and specific task expenses are unlikely to be agreed upon in the budget adjustment subcommittee and are expected to be used as a last-minute 'bargaining lever' in the smaller subcommittees beyond December.
On the 14th, Jin Sung-jun, the DPK Policy Committee Chair, told Asia Economy in a phone interview regarding the possibility of adjusting the prosecutor's specific task expenses budget increase, "If the supporting documents prove that the expenses were properly executed for their intended purposes, then it is reasonable to adjust accordingly." There is a sentiment both inside and outside the party leadership that reviewing the receipts submitted by the prosecution could allow for an increase in the specific task expenses.
The problem is time. The possibility of increasing the special activity and specific task expenses budget, which was cut to '0 won,' through the budget adjustment subcommittee from the 18th to 25th, the full Budget Committee meeting on the 29th, and by the legal deadline of December 2nd is slim. To increase the prosecutor's special activity and specific task expenses budget in the Budget Committee, the consent of the standing committee chair, Jeong Cheong-rae, is required, but opposition is clear within and outside the Legislation and Judiciary Committee. A committee official stated, "The prosecution mentions specific task expenses as necessary for confidential investigations or searches and seizures, but confidential investigations are illegal evidence collection, which is unacceptable, and the costs incurred during searches and seizures are handled as travel expenses." Special activity expenses are also a difficult issue. On the morning of the previous day, Minister of Justice Park Seong-jae said at the National Assembly Budget and Accounts Special Committee, "We respect the National Assembly's budget review authority, but the essential meaning of the special activity expenses category is the need for confidentiality."
Moreover, this month, when budget negotiations will intensify, there is the first trial verdict on the 15th for the Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung's violation of the Public Official Election Act, and the verdict for the perjury charge case is scheduled for the 25th. The situation is likely to escalate into a confrontation rather than dialogue between the ruling and opposition parties.
In November, when budget negotiations will intensify, there will be the first trial verdict on the 15th for Lee Jae-myung, the party leader, on charges of violating the Public Official Election Act, and a verdict on the 25th for charges of perjury instruction. It is expected that the confrontation between the ruling and opposition parties will be more of a head-on clash than dialogue.
Because of this, the prosecutor's special activity and specific task expenses budget is expected to be adjusted beyond the legal deadline through the '3+3 small subcommittee' or the 'small subcommittee' where floor leaders of negotiation groups negotiate directly. The 'small subcommittee' refers to a non-public review conducted without legal basis, involving the Budget Committee Chair, the ruling and opposition party secretaries of the Budget Committee, and the Ministry of Strategy and Finance officials. If no conclusion is reached in the small subcommittee, the decision may be escalated to the so-called 'smallest subcommittee' involving floor leaders. Inside and outside the National Assembly, there is speculation that the prosecutor's special activity and specific task expenses budget could be used as a bargaining chip to increase or defend the budget for regional currency or constituency budgets, which the Democratic Party is pushing hard for.
Last November, the Democratic Party also launched a 'Special Activity Expenses Task Force (TF)' with the plan to cut the opaque prosecutor's special activity expenses budget entirely or by at least 50%, but during negotiations between the ruling and opposition party leadership, the conclusion was to cut the prosecutor's special activity expenses by 10% in exchange for increasing the budgets for regional currency, the Saemangeum project, and research and development (R&D). The positions of the ruling and opposition parties on the prosecutor's special activity expenses have reversed with each change of administration. In the 20th National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee, the People Power Party argued that special activity expenses without proven usage should be cut. The Democratic Party maintained that they had already cut as much as possible and could not reduce further. Through this process, the prosecutor's special activity expenses have decreased year by year.
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