Park Ji-won "Marking and attacking Constitutional Court justices... Better to import from abroad"

"Choi Sang-mok is Acting Prime Minister, Not Acting Veto Power Holder"
Exercising the Veto Would Violate the Constitution and the National Assembly Act

Park Ji-won, Member of the Democratic Party of Korea. Photo by Kim Hyun-min

As the People Power Party raised 'fairness issues' regarding the Constitutional Court justices currently deliberating on the impeachment trial of President Yoon Suk-yeol, Park Ji-won, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, criticized, "If you pinpoint and attack or disqualify Constitutional Court justices, there will be no prosecutors, judges, or Constitutional Court justices in South Korea to investigate and try President Yoon, so import them from abroad."

On the 31st, Park posted on Facebook, "Today, at the Cabinet meeting to decide whether to promulgate the Special Investigation Act on the Rebellion, Acting Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok is said to decide whether to exercise the veto power against the Special Investigation Act on the Rebellion passed by the National Assembly," emphasizing, "Acting Prime Minister Choi is the acting president but not the acting veto power holder."

Earlier, on the 10th, Kim Seok-woo, Acting Minister of Justice, stated that the Special Investigation Act on the Rebellion, which allows a third party to recommend special investigation candidates, "has resolved the most fundamental issues." Referring to this, Park argued, "If Acting Prime Minister Choi exercises the veto citing the lack of bipartisan agreement, it would be a violation of the Constitution and the National Assembly Act," adding, "He will bear grave responsibility for causing national turmoil and will not escape public criticism as a collaborator with rebellion forces."

Furthermore, he demanded, "Acting Prime Minister Choi must appoint Ma Eun-hyuk, a candidate for Constitutional Court justice, before the Constitutional Court's provisional disposition and jurisdictional dispute trial, completing the Constitutional Court as a full nine-member body."

On the 30th, Kwon Seong-dong, floor leader of the People Power Party, claimed that judges affiliated with the Democratic Party and the Uri-beop Research Group are connected to all unfair trials. The 'Uri-beop Research Group' is considered one of the leading progressive judge associations within the judiciary, alongside the 'International Human Rights Law Research Group.' He said, "The Constitutional Court should put a brake on the Democratic Party-style dictatorship, but Acting Chief Justice Moon Hyung-bae and Justices Jeong Gye-seon and Lee Mi-seon, all from Uri-beop, are rather fueling controversies over fairness," pointing out, "Especially Acting Chief Justice Moon is a close associate of Representative Lee Jae-myung since their days as judicial trainees, and Democratic Party lawmaker Jeong Seong-ho vouched for him as his closest person." He continued, "Article 24 of the Constitutional Court Act stipulates the recusal or avoidance of justices when fair judgment is difficult," and raised his voice, "Constitutional Court justices from the Uri-beop Research Group must choose whether to uphold their conscience as legal professionals or engage in left-wing factional politics."

In this regard, Park criticized, "They are pinpointing, attacking, and disqualifying Constitutional Court justices by labeling them as friends, spouses, or seniors and juniors." He added, "In the legal community, who is not connected to President Yoon Suk-yeol through university, bar exam, or senior-junior relationships? If they nitpick over judicial trainee classes and connections, then there will be no prosecutors, judges, or Constitutional Court justices in South Korea to investigate and try the president, so they will have no choice but to import them."