Re-vote on Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor Act Scheduled for the 10th of Next Month
Opposition: "People Power Party Cannot Resolve Bulletin Board Controversy"
Ruling Party: "Lawmakers Learning About the Unconstitutionality of Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor Act"
The third re-vote on the special prosecutor law concerning First Lady Kim Geon-hee (Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor Law) has been postponed to the 10th of next month. On the surface, this is to allow time for adjustments related to the re-vote. However, the opposition party appears to be aiming for the ruling party's split votes amid the recent controversy over the party member bulletin board. On the other hand, the ruling party predicts that the Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor Law will be separate from the division and that party unity will rather be strengthened.
On the 26th, Chu Kyung-ho, floor leader of the People Power Party, and Park Chan-dae, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, attended a meeting of the floor leaders of the two parties held at the National Assembly, presided over by Speaker Woo Won-shik. Photo by Kim Hyun-min
On the 26th, the floor leaders of both ruling and opposition parties met at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, presided over by Speaker Woo Won-shik, and postponed the expected re-vote on the Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor Law from the 28th to the 10th of next month. Park Chan-dae, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, said, "The re-vote on the special prosecutor law requires full efforts from both ruling and opposition parties," adding, "It is appropriate to set the exact date for the re-vote so that both sides can prepare sufficiently." The report on the prosecutor impeachment motion is scheduled for the 2nd of next month, with the vote set for the 4th. According to the National Assembly Act, the impeachment motion must be voted on within 72 hours after 24 hours of reporting.
The Democratic Party is interpreted as aiming for divisions within the ruling party. Within the People Power Party, conflicts continue between pro-Yoon Seok-yeol faction and pro-Han Dong-hoon faction lawmakers over the 'party member bulletin board controversy.' Currently, the broad opposition bloc with 192 seats has failed to secure two-thirds of the total members, i.e., 200 votes in favor, in the two previous re-votes on the Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor Law, and with this division, they seem to expect more than 8 defecting votes. An opposition party official said, "The internal prediction is that the People Power Party will not be able to resolve the party member bulletin board controversy," adding, "The postponement of the re-vote schedule is a measure to increase even by 0.1% the possibility of passing the Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor Law."
The People Power Party is confident that it will form a united front in this re-vote as well. Regardless of factions, there is a consensus that the Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor Law contains unconstitutional elements. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo emphasized the unfairness of the third Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor Law in his remarks at the Cabinet meeting the day before. The law was still passed excluding the ruling party, and although the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court can recommend special prosecutor candidates, the opposition party should not have unlimited veto power, according to the logic. A ruling party official said, "The re-vote on the Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor Law has been repeated several times, so lawmakers have learned about the law's unconstitutionality," adding, "The direction for the re-vote on the Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor Law has already been decided as the party's official stance."
The Democratic Party seems to be focusing more on the prosecutor impeachment while delaying the Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor Law as much as possible. The Democratic Party initially wanted the report on the prosecutor impeachment motion on the 28th rather than the re-vote on the Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor Law, showing their focus on pushing the prosecutor impeachment. If the dates for the re-vote on the Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor Law and the report or vote on the prosecutor impeachment motion overlap, attention is likely to be drawn to the Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor Law. Kim Yong-min, deputy floor policy chief of the Democratic Party, said on the 27th on SBS Radio's 'Kim Tae-hyun's News Show,' "Some raised the issue that there is no need to match the prosecutor impeachment schedule and the (Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor Law) re-vote schedule exactly," adding, "There were opinions that the schedule for revising the permanent special prosecutor rules should also be considered, so naturally, the (Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor Law re-vote) was delayed."
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