Kim Jongdae on Indictment of Former President Moon
"Concern Over Division Among State Institutions at Start of New Administration"
"Prosecution Must Consider Its Own Survival"
As prosecutors have indicted former President Moon Jaein without detention on charges of bribery, former National Assembly member Jongdae Kim commented, "Ahead of the presidential election, the pace of indictments and trials for incidents from the previous administration is accelerating." He further predicted, "A clash between political power and the prosecution is expected at the beginning of the next administration." On April 24, during an interview on CBS Radio's 'Park Jaehong's Hanpan Seungbu,' Kim stated, "The prosecution holds many cards," making these observations.
Kim continued, "Recently, there was news that the manipulation of real estate statistics would also be prosecuted, and the trial for the shooting of a public official in the West Sea, which occurred at the Ministry of National Defense, has made significant progress." He explained, "All these cases are ongoing, but the recent acceleration means that handling such issues will become central to state affairs at the start of the next administration. I am deeply concerned that we may face internal divisions among state institutions."
When the host mentioned that "the Democratic Party is strongly protesting, claiming that the prosecution has pulled the trigger on its own dissolution in response to the indictment of former President Moon," Kim replied, "During last year's general election, a prosecution official told a certain media outlet, 'If the opposition party gains the majority, the prosecution will be completely wiped out.'" He added, "At that time, 11 out of the 25 pledges made by the opposition were related to the prosecution." He continued, "The same situation is unfolding again. If so, I think there will be a clash over prosecution reform early in the new administration." Kim further analyzed, "The prosecution has now reached a point where it must consider its own survival."
Kim also argued that, in the event of a change in administration, "an unprecedented political situation will unfold in which the ruling party calls for a special prosecutor in response to backlash against the prosecution and former President Yoon." He noted, "Typically, it is the opposition that calls for a special prosecutor. However, demands for special prosecutors regarding cases such as Deutsche Motors, the Chae Sangbyeong case, and the insurrection case will remain valid even after a change in administration." He explained, "These issues should have been addressed during the Yoon Sukyeol administration, but they were not. As a result, problems that arose under the Yoon Sukyeol administration will not be resolved by a change in government but will instead continue as special prosecutor controversies into the next administration. This is precisely what I mean by 'clash.'" He added, "While the prosecution has rightfully enforced the law in some cases, if there are shortcomings, the ruling party should urge the prosecution to address them. However, as demands for special prosecutors continue, the situation is not unfolding in that way."
Members of the Democratic Party's Former Regime Political Oppression Countermeasures Committee held an urgent press conference on the indictment of former President Moon Jaein on the 24th at the National Assembly Communication Hall in Yeouido, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News
With the indictment of former President Moon, strong backlash has erupted from the opposition. Yoon Kunyoung, a Democratic Party lawmaker who served as Chief of State Affairs at the Blue House during the Moon Jaein administration, held a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Hall in Yeouido, Seoul, to convey Moon's position. Former President Moon criticized the prosecution's indictment as "a retaliatory measure for the indictment and impeachment of former President Yoon," calling it "an absurd and outrageous indictment." He also reportedly stated, "I will file a criminal complaint against the prosecution for illegal acts such as abuse of investigative authority," and added, "I will use this incident as an opportunity for prosecution reform."
Democratic Party spokesperson Park Kyungmee stated in a written briefing, "The prosecution has crossed the final line that must not be crossed. Is the standard of law the prosecution speaks of merely whatever the prosecution wishes?" She warned, "The prosecution's desperate resistance will only hasten prosecution reform. The Democratic Party once again pledges to reform the prosecution, which is desperately trying to protect its vested interests."
Democratic Party presidential primary candidates also joined in the criticism. Lee Jaemyung, former leader of the Democratic Party, said, "As the prosecution has become politicized, it has at some point turned into a novelist. If there had been evidence in the case of former President Moon's indictment, the world would have been in an uproar, but I have not seen any content indicating that such evidence exists." Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dongyeon commented, "The prosecution, which could not even appeal against the released mastermind of the insurrection, has now drawn a blade of madness against a former president who has retired." Kim Kyungsoo, former governor of South Gyeongsang Province, also criticized, "I cannot bear to watch the behavior of the political prosecution with my own eyes."
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