Democratic Party Faces 66 Complaints Filed
Ruling Party and Presidential Office Take Strong Measures
Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is speaking at the foreign exchange market inspection meeting held at the National Assembly on the 8th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min
Amid the political turmoil following the 12·3 emergency martial law situation, the ruling and opposition parties are intensifying their mutual accusations. In the midst of the "normalization of political strife," there are criticisms that both parties, embroiled in conflict, are excluding efforts for conflict resolution or reconciliation and relying solely on judicial measures.
According to the Democratic Party on the 9th, since President Yoon declared martial law on the 3rd of last month, the party has received 66 complaints against government and ruling party officials on charges including treason, propaganda for treason, obstruction of special official duties, violation of testimony and appraisal laws in the National Assembly, and general acts of betrayal. Among those accused of treason are President Yoon, former Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun, former Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min, and Presidential Chief of Staff Jeong Jin-seok, totaling 19 individuals. President Yoon and former Minister Kim are also under investigation for general acts of betrayal.
The Democratic Party is expected to continue filing treason-related complaints. On the 6th, the party launched the "Democratic Police Station," an internal organization under the False Information Monitoring Team of the National Communication Committee, to respond to false and fabricated information related to martial law. Jeon Yong-gi, chairman of the National Communication Committee, stated, "We will soon classify the reports and take actions such as filing complaints."
The People Power Party has also entered the complaint battle with a tough stance as about a month has passed since the martial law incident. Joo Jin-woo, chairman of the People Power Party’s legal advisory committee, submitted a complaint to the Supreme Prosecutors' Office this morning against Lee Sang-sik, a Democratic Party lawmaker and former police officer, as well as unidentified Democratic Party members and officials of the National Investigation Headquarters, on charges including abuse of power, violation of the Anti-Graft Act, and disclosure of official secrets. This is related to Lee Sang-sik’s social media post claiming he acted as a messenger between the party and the National Investigation Headquarters. Earlier, on the 3rd, the People Power Party filed complaints against Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung, floor leader Park Chan-dae, and Supreme Council member Kim Min-seok for false accusations and defamation based on false facts.
On the morning of the 9th, as the court reissued an arrest warrant for President Yoon Seok-yeol and the second attempt to execute the warrant at the level of the joint investigation headquarters entered the final countdown, people presumed to be presidential residence security personnel were changing shifts near the main gate of the presidential residence in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News
The Presidential Office, which had refrained from official responses following the suspension of the president’s duties, has also joined the complaint battle. The Presidential Office filed a complaint against the media outlet OhmyNews (OhmyTV) for violating the Military Base and Military Facilities Protection Act after it filmed and reported inside the presidential residence grounds in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, the day before. The residence area is a military facility protection zone and a security facility where the sitting president and head of state reside, and unauthorized filming can be punished under relevant laws. This action came amid negative public opinion spreading in the opposition over concerns about President Yoon’s "possibility of escape," after the media outlet reported footage presumed to show a figure resembling President Yoon on the residence road, expressing deep regret.
Meanwhile, there are various interpretations regarding the recent shift in stance by President Yoon’s side, which had previously resisted the execution of an arrest warrant but announced yesterday that it would comply with procedures if the High-ranking Officials’ Crime Investigation Office (HOCI) requests a detention warrant from the Seoul Central District Court. Although it was stated that this was "considering the public’s hardship in the severe cold and the emotional conflicts among public officials," some view this as a surface reason, suggesting that sensing an imminent arrest and feeling a crisis, President Yoon’s side is attempting to delay the HOCI investigation and weaken the justification for executing the arrest warrant as a strategic move.
It is analyzed that the request to change the jurisdictional court for HOCI from the Western District Court to the Central District Court and to reapply for the detention warrant is intended to delay securing President Yoon’s custody as much as possible, while anticipating that the Central District Court may dismiss the detention warrant request because it does not recognize HOCI’s investigative authority over treason charges.
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