104 PPP Lawmakers Participate in Proposal, 4 Abstain
Negotiations with Democratic Party Begin at 3 p.m.
The People Power Party (PPP) on the 17th proposed a special investigation law on martial law as a party resolution. The bill notably excludes charges such as incitement to rebellion and foreign exchange crimes from the investigation scope and significantly reduces the special prosecutor's term and scale. Initially, the PPP intended to submit the bill under the names of all 108 members, but four lawmakers ultimately did not participate. However, with the PPP proposing a special investigation law to investigate President Yoon Seok-yeol on charges of rebellion, it appears that the split with President Yoon has officially begun.
On the same day, the PPP submitted to the National Assembly the "Act on the Appointment of a Special Prosecutor for the Truth-Finding of the Declaration of Martial Law by the Yoon Seok-yeol Government." Although the PPP initially planned to propose the bill as a party resolution, lawmakers Yoon Sang-hyun, Jang Dong-hyuk, Jeong Hee-yong, and Yoo Young-ha ultimately did not participate in the proposal.
Kwon Seong-dong, floor leader of the People Power Party, is speaking at the party meeting held at the National Assembly on the 16th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min
The PPP's special investigation law focuses on narrowing the scope of investigation by removing charges such as incitement to rebellion, foreign exchange crimes related to North Korea policy, and provisions on ex officio investigations. Accordingly, among the 11 allegations raised by opposition parties including the Democratic Party, the investigation scope is reduced to five. The investigation period is shortened to 110 days instead of the opposition's proposed 150 days, and the number of investigators is reduced to 58 from 155. The method of recommending special prosecutors retains the opposition's proposal of having the Chief Justice recommend candidates but limits the number of candidates to three.
Additionally, for investigative convenience, the bill removes special provisions that excluded the refusal of search and seizure related to military secrets and official secrets under the Criminal Procedure Act, and deletes provisions excluding media briefings that disclose suspect facts.
The PPP described the bill as "aiming to reasonably adjust by deleting many unconstitutional elements from the special investigation law unilaterally passed by the opposition."
Kwon Seong-dong, the PPP floor leader, announced the intention to propose the special investigation law on martial law at a party meeting the previous day. He said, "We are well aware that proposing a special investigation law to investigate the president who was arrested yesterday is something that should not be done as a human being before politics," but added, "Today, we must discuss the special investigation law. We must think about the party's future and find a path for the future." Initially, the PPP planned to propose the bill in the morning, but some lawmakers hesitated to sign, delaying the bill's submission.
With the ruling party ultimately joining the special investigation law on President Yoon's martial law, it is interpreted that the distancing between the PPP and President Yoon has officially begun. The PPP proposed the special investigation law as a last-ditch effort to block the possibility of a comprehensive investigation into charges such as incitement to rebellion and foreign exchange crimes if the opposition's special investigation law were passed. The Democratic Party urged the PPP to propose and negotiate the special investigation law, refusing to give legitimacy to Choi Sang-mok, the acting Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance, who once exercised a veto on the special investigation law.
The floor leaders of both ruling and opposition parties began negotiations at 3 p.m. that day to prepare a revised special investigation law.
Regarding the special investigation law, Roh Jong-myeon, the Democratic Party floor spokesperson, said, "The content of the bill is disappointing to the extent that the name 'special investigation' is meaningless," but added, "Nevertheless, we will do our best to negotiate. We will settle it within today." Roh also stated, "To completely block the possibility of a veto on the special investigation law, we will endure a certain level of concession."
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