Song Eon-seok: "Park Chan-dae Pushes for Expulsion of 45 Opposition Lawmakers After Losing Support to Jung Chung-rae"

Park Chan-dae: "The 45 'Human Shields' for Yoon Suk-yeol Must Be Expelled"
Song Eon-seok: "Is Park Seeking Votes After Falling Behind Jung Chung-rae?"
On the Special Prosecutor's Search of Kim Sun-kyo: "Politically Motivated"

Song Eon-seok, interim leader and floor leader of the People Power Party, strongly objected on July 25 to Democratic Party leader candidate Park Chan-dae's submission of a resolution calling for the expulsion of 45 People Power Party lawmakers, saying, "This is an attempt to completely annihilate the opposition party."

Song Eonseok, Emergency Response Committee Chairman and Floor Leader of the People Power Party, is speaking at the Emergency Response Committee meeting held at the National Assembly on the 24th. Photo by Yonhap News

Speaking to reporters at the National Assembly main building that morning, Song said, "I view this as a declaration by the Lee Jae-myung administration to complete one-party dictatorship by destroying the opposition through the special prosecutor and the Democratic Party," and added, "I strongly condemn it."

Earlier, Park Chan-dae held a press conference at the National Assembly's communication center and stated, "I am submitting a resolution urging the expulsion of the 45 People Power Party lawmakers who acted as human shields during the Yoon Suk-yeol rebellion crisis," and added, "These 45 human shields, who only looked at Yoon Suk-yeol's face, are clearly 'accomplices to insurrection.'"

Song pointed out, "(There is an interpretation that) as Representative Park is relatively weaker compared to Jung Chung-rae, who is competing for party leadership in the Democratic Party convention, he is taking a hardline stance to appeal to Democratic Party supporters and party members."

He continued, "Yesterday, after we referred former Minister of Gender Equality and Family candidate Kang Sun-woo to the Ethics Committee, there are also claims that Representative Park's action was retaliatory," and criticized, "Kang Sun-woo has lost public trust as her abuse of power and false explanations have been exposed."

Song also strongly condemned the special prosecution team led by Min Jung-ki, which is investigating allegations related to Kim Keon-hee, for conducting a search and seizure at the office of People Power Party lawmaker Kim Sun-kyo that morning in connection with the Yangpyeong Expressway preferential treatment allegations.

He stated, "This is already the fifth search and seizure against opposition lawmakers," and pointed out, "Ahn Gyu-baek of the Democratic Party, who had a 14-minute phone call with Commander Lim Sung-geun, is now a candidate for Minister of National Defense, but I cannot understand why there has been no search and seizure against him."

Song added, "I hope the special prosecutor will respect the remarks of National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik, who said that voluntary submission is preferable to search and seizure of lawmakers' offices in respect for the separation of powers."

He further emphasized, "Because lawmakers usually travel to their constituencies for local activities on Fridays, search and seizure operations are being conducted every Friday. This is a politically motivated search and seizure. We must inform the public in detail that the special prosecutor's investigation is being conducted for political purposes."

Song stated, "Kim Sun-kyo has said, 'The special prosecutor's search and seizure is completely groundless, and the alleged route in question is not related at all.' He also said, 'There is no such material in the lawmaker's office at all.'"