Vote on Impeachment of Board of Audit and Inspection Chief and Central District Prosecutor Chief D-1... Ruling Party Enters Fight Mode

1500-Person Rally Held at National Assembly on 4th
Criticism of Democratic Party from Ruling Party Leadership and Spokespersons

The People Power Party entered a public opinion battle and protest mode starting from the 3rd, a day before the parliamentary vote on the impeachment motion against three prosecutors, including the head of the Board of Audit and Inspection and the chief prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, through party leadership and spokesperson comments.

According to political circles, the People Power Party plans to hold a 'Rally Condemning the Impeachment Overuse and Shielding Violence by Lee Jae-myung and the Democratic Party (tentative name)' with about 1,500 party members in front of the National Assembly main building before the plenary session on the 4th.

Earlier, the Democratic Party had submitted an impeachment motion the previous day against Choi Jae-hae, head of the Board of Audit and Inspection, Lee Chang-soo, chief prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office who dismissed charges against Kim Geon-hee related to the Deutsche Motors case, Cho Sang-won, the 4th deputy chief prosecutor, and Choi Jae-hoon, head of the Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 2, regarding investigations into corruption allegations during the Moon Jae-in administration. The impeachment vote is scheduled to take place at the plenary session on the 4th.

Seo Beom-su, the party secretary-general, sent official letters the previous day encouraging party-affiliated lawmakers, as well as heads of city and provincial party committees and district committee chairs, to participate in the condemnation rally on a large scale.

In the official letter, Secretary-General Seo condemned, "The Democratic Party, which has repeatedly run wild without brakes, is committing an unprecedented political assault in constitutional history, and Lee Jae-myung-style retaliatory politics is endlessly unfolding, threatening the government by impeaching the head of the Board of Audit and Inspection and the prosecution leadership, mutilating the budget, and paralyzing state affairs."

Chu Kyung-ho, floor leader of the People Power Party, is speaking at the floor strategy meeting held at the National Assembly on the 3rd. Photo by Kim Hyun-min

Before holding the condemnation rally, the People Power Party launched a large-scale pressure campaign against the opposition on the same day. At a party floor strategy meeting held at the National Assembly, floor leader Chu Kyung-ho criticized the Democratic Party's forced impeachment motion, calling it "a backward-country-style political terror where a criminal group uses parliamentary authority to retaliate and intimidate in order to cover up the truth of crimes."

Floor spokesperson Park Jun-tae rebutted, "The main reason for the impeachment of the prosecutors, including the chief prosecutor, is that the investigation was inadequate, such as not prosecuting Kim Geon-hee in the 'Deutsche Motors stock manipulation case.' However, this case was also investigated in a sweeping manner by a former chief prosecutor-turned-lawmaker currently in the Democratic Party but was not prosecuted."

Regarding the impeachment motion against Chief Choi, he emphasized, "The impeachment is being pushed because it revealed misconduct during the Moon Jae-in administration. They even included the 'illegal audit of the early shutdown of Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant Unit 1,' which was completed before Choi took office, as grounds for impeachment. This is yet another impeachment motion without grounds."

The People Power Party strongly opposed the Democratic Party's passage of the audit request, arguing that the collective statement issued by the chief prosecutors and deputy prosecutors of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office in response to the impeachment motion was a violation of the constitutional and national public officials' political neutrality obligations.

Jang Dong-hyuk, a member of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, criticized, "The Supreme Court acquitted teachers who made collective statements as public officials. Demanding an audit on the grounds that prosecutors violated political neutrality obligations just because they expressed opinions on a matter where legitimacy can be debated, such as impeachment, is neither legally sound nor just."

Member Kwak Kyu-taek also claimed, "It's obvious. Democratic Party floor leader Park Chan-dae or Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung must have issued orders like 'We need to bring the audit request to the plenary session tomorrow, so process it quickly.'"

Member Joo Jin-woo also fiercely criticized at the full meeting of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, saying, "The Democratic Party's impeachment of these prosecutors is political oppression, so it is legitimate for the prosecutors to express their opinions. This is a blatant and shameless audit request."

Spokesperson Park also issued a statement, saying, "There is also a view that this audit request is a shield to protect lawmakers accused of distributing money envelopes at the Democratic Party's party convention. The current Democratic Party's stance is a typical case of mental victory, covering their eyes because they cannot cover the sky with their palm. Even if all prosecutors in Korea are intimidated and impeached, the responsibility of those who committed crimes will never disappear."

Choi Jae-hae, Chairman of the Board of Audit and Inspection, is speaking about his stance on impeachment as he enters the plenary session of the Special Committee on Budget and Accounts held at the National Assembly on the 29th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min