Democratic Party, Innovation Party, and Social Democratic Party Jointly Propose Bill
"Uncovering the Full Truth of State Judicial and Political Violence"
The Democratic Party, the Cho Kuk Innovation Party, the Social Democratic Party, and other pro-government parties jointly proposed a special bill on July 10 to investigate allegations of prosecutorial power abuse during the tenures of former President Yoon Seokyeol as Prosecutor General and President.
The special bill was jointly introduced by Min Hyungbae of the Democratic Party, Seo Wangjin of the Cho Kuk Innovation Party, and Han Changmin of the Social Democratic Party. Originally, it was a party bill of the Cho Kuk Innovation Party, but some members of the Democratic Party and the Social Democratic Party joined in, leading to its submission as a joint proposal.
Former President Yoon Seokyeol, who is under special investigation related to the December 3 emergency martial law, arrived at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on the 9th to attend the warrant hearing and is waiting to disembark. Photo by Yonhap News
The lawmakers who led the bill held a press conference at the National Assembly's Communication Center on the same day, stating, "We will thoroughly uncover the truth behind judicial and political violence at the national level and restore the honor of the victims." They explained the purpose of the bill, saying, "We aim to ensure that prosecutorial power is not abused as a tool for specific groups, but is used solely for the people and democracy, thereby contributing to the proper establishment of democracy and justice in our country."
They pointed out, "The prosecutorial power, with Yoon Seokyeol at its apex, launched an investigation that devastated the family of Cho Kuk, the nominee for Minister of Justice, after Yoon became Prosecutor General." They continued, "Starting with a direct challenge to the President's authority over personnel appointments, indiscriminate and harsh investigations were conducted against labor groups such as the Construction Workers' Union and Cargo Truckers Solidarity, media outlets such as Newstapa and JTBC, former presidents and Blue House aides, and prominent opposition politicians including Lee Jaemyung, then leader of the Democratic Party."
They further stated, "Prosecutorial power was abused not only against the political sphere, but also across the media, labor, and civil society." They emphasized, "In this process, the investigative practices of Yoon Seokyeol's prosecution group, such as indiscriminate searches and seizures and warrantless access to communication accounts, severely undermined the principles of due process and human rights protection as stipulated by the Constitution and the Criminal Procedure Act. As a result, many individuals lost their lives during this process."
They added, "The psychological suffering inflicted on those involved by the actions of Yoon Seokyeol's prosecution was essentially no different from the horrific acts of torture committed by intelligence and security agencies during past military regimes." They asserted, "The prosecution exercised its unchecked power without restraint, and in this process, Yoon Seokyeol's group privatized prosecutorial authority. Democracy was destroyed and human rights were trampled."
They continued, "The truth has yet to be fully revealed, and numerous lawsuits and trials stemming from this continue to this day," adding, "Although some have been acquitted, the lives of the victims have already been irreparably damaged."
The bill specifies that cases in which acquittals were finalized during former President Yoon's tenure, where suspicions of prosecutorial power abuse were raised, as well as cases where investigations or prosecutions were delayed, are subject to fact-finding investigations.
According to the bill, investigations will be conducted by an independent fact-finding committee. Investigations can be initiated not only upon application by bereaved families or parties involved, but also ex officio by the committee. If abuse of prosecutorial power is recognized, the committee may request the state to take measures to restore the damages and honor of victims and their families, and may also recommend special pardons and reinstatements.
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