"This Is Why We Opposed the Three Major Special Prosecutor Cases"
On July 18, Kwon Seongdong, a member of the People Power Party, criticized the special prosecutor's team investigating Kim Keonhee for searching his National Assembly office and other locations, calling it "a typical case of oppression against the opposition party."
Speaking to reporters at the National Assembly on the same day, Kwon stated, "I have no knowledge of, nor have I been involved in, any exchange of money or valuables with Geonjinbeopsa or members of the Unification Church," and reiterated his criticism.
On this day, the special prosecutor's team led by Min Junggi, which is investigating allegations related to First Lady Kim Keonhee, simultaneously searched Kwon's National Assembly office and his office in Gangneung. Separately, the special prosecutor's team led by Lee Myeonghyeon, which is investigating allegations of external pressure in the death of Marine Corps Corporal Chae, also searched the National Assembly office and residence of Lee Cheolgyu, another member of the People Power Party.
Kwon argued, "The special prosecutor's act of searching not only the office but also the residence for political purposes to oppress the opposition is a textbook case of abuse of authority. The special prosecutor, who received the investigation records from the Southern District Prosecutors' Office, conducted a search of the parliamentary office without securing any new evidence. This can only be defined as oppression of the opposition party." He further claimed that if there had been any leads or relevant facts in the case, which had been investigated for a long time by the Southern District Prosecutors' Office, the prosecution would have issued a summons, but there had not been a single contact.
Kwon added, "This is why our party opposed all three special prosecutor cases (the insurrection, Kim Keonhee, and Corporal Chae special prosecutors) as a party policy. When courts issue search warrants, there should be a certain level of substantiation, but judges are indiscriminately issuing warrants even without supporting materials, which is also problematic. We will actively respond to all these issues in consultation with the party," he said.
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