Ahn Cheol-soo: "Yoon, Fight Calmly with Legal Reasoning in Court"

Ahn Cheol-soo: "People Power Party Must Become True Conservatives"
On Controversy Over Yoon Investigation Lead: "Police Should Investigate"
Regarding People Power Lawmakers' Visit to Hannam-dong Residence: "Listening to Public Sentiment"
On Withdrawal of Treason Charge in Impeachment Proposal: "Deceiving the People"

On the 6th, Ahn Cheol-soo, a member of the People Power Party, urged, "President Yoon Seok-yeol should face the ongoing trials and investigations with confidence as the head of state of the Republic of Korea." He also pointed out to his party, the People Power Party, that it must "rebuild itself as a true conservative party, not as a pro-martial law party or a pro-Yoon (pro-Yoon Seok-yeol) party."

At a press conference held at the National Assembly Communication Office that day, Rep. Ahn demanded that President Yoon "if the declaration of martial law was an emergency measure to protect liberal democracy and the constitution, then he should fight resolutely and confidently in court based on legal principles."

Regarding the Yoon administration's stance that the arrest and search warrants issued by the court are unjust, he emphasized, "Objections to the arrest and search warrants should be raised with the court and follow its judgment. To prevent clashes between law enforcement agencies, national division, and sacrifices by the people, decisive action is needed."

He also criticized the failure of the execution of the arrest and search warrants by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) on the 3rd, which was thwarted by the Presidential Security Service, saying, "This is a scene where the constitution and laws collapse in reality. It is shameful, shameful, and shameful."

Regarding the CIO, he argued, "The authority to investigate treason lies with the police, and the CIO's attempt to arrest the president could cause conflicts and controversies. To comply with the constitution and laws and secure procedural legitimacy, it is desirable for the police to conduct the investigation from now on."

On the allegations that President Yoon declared martial law on December 3 last year, banning political activities such as those of the National Assembly in the proclamation and ordering military commanders to arrest key politicians, he criticized, "According to the prosecution's indictment, President Yoon's explanation that it was a warning emergency measure against the ruling giant opposition party that repeatedly engaged in legislative and impeachment rampages is losing credibility," adding, "Even if the judiciary and executive powers can be limited to some extent, the legislative branch's activities cannot be suspended without consent."

Ahn Cheol-soo, a member of the People Power Party, is sitting alone among ruling party members at the National Assembly on the 7th, ahead of the vote on the impeachment motion against President Yoon Seok-yeol. Photo by Kim Hyun-min

To the People Power Party, he said, "Investigations into President Yoon should be left to investigative agencies, impeachment trials to the Constitutional Court, and our party must innovate and rebuild for the Republic of Korea and its people," adding, "We must not appear to be defending President Yoon's martial law. If perceived that way, we will never escape the river of rebellion and the sea of martial law." He further warned, "The more we are branded as a pro-martial law party or a pro-Yoon party, the less we can prevent Lee Jae-myung's administration, making it impossible for our party to come to power and threatening the party's very existence."

However, when asked about the visit of more than 30 pro-Yoon and Yeongnam region lawmakers to the presidential residence in Hannam-dong, Seoul, on that day, Rep. Ahn said, "There has been no overall discussion yet, and everyone is attending voluntarily," and defended, "I believe it is an important duty for incumbent lawmakers, especially those representing constituencies, to go directly to the scene of conflict and understand public sentiment."

When reporters said, "Lawmakers went to block the execution of the warrants, but there are criticisms that this provokes the hardline supporters," Rep. Ahn responded, "First of all, regarding the execution of the warrants, hasn't an objection been filed with the Supreme Court now?" and added, "Therefore, I hope the Supreme Court will make a decision by today, the deadline for the warrants."

When asked if he believed the arrest warrants should be executed, he replied, "That is within the judiciary's judgment," and retorted, "If the judiciary decides, even if it is not convincing to the person involved, isn't it the rule of law to comply?"

Regarding the recent withdrawal of the treason charge from the impeachment reasons by the National Assembly's impeachment prosecution team composed of opposition lawmakers including the Democratic Party of Korea, he repeatedly claimed it was "to save Lee Jae-myung."

Rep. Ahn said, "Trying to change the impeachment proposal by a few representatives without the National Assembly's consent is an issue that could be resolved with just one trial," and stressed, "This is nothing more than a scheme to buy time so that the judgment on President Yoon comes out even one day earlier than the verdict on Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea." He emphasized, "It is a hundred times better to submit the impeachment proposal passed by the National Assembly as originally drafted and leave the judgment to the Constitutional Court."

On the 6th, in front of the Presidential Residence in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, Kim Ki-hyun, a member of the People Power Party, along with other party members, expressed their stance on the arrest warrant for President Yoon Seok-yeol, following the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Department's official letter stating that the execution of the arrest warrant for President Yoon would be entrusted to the police. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung