"The Membership List Is Our Lifeblood...
We Will Protect It to the End"
"A Textbook Case of Opposition Party Oppression and Political Retaliation"
On August 13, the People Power Party strongly protested after checking the information of 20 party members requested by Special Prosecutor Min Jungki's team, which is investigating allegations surrounding First Lady Kim Keonhee. The special prosecutor's team had requested the information to verify whether certain individuals were members of a specific religious organization. The party stated, "Not a single person among them was a member of our party," and added, "Why are they trying to search our party headquarters' membership list, which is not even related to any criminal allegations?"
Song Eonseok, the acting leader and floor leader of the People Power Party, said at the party's headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, "The special prosecutor asked us to sample and cross-check the list of people who are most likely to be our party members among the members of a certain religious group that the special prosecutor is investigating. We received a list of 20 names and compared it with our own membership records, but not a single person was a member of our party." Song headed to the party headquarters immediately after delivering a congratulatory speech at a joint convention rally held in Daejeon.
Song further stated, "I cannot understand at all why Special Prosecutor Min Jungki's team came to the party headquarters today to conduct a search and seizure," and strongly criticized it as "a textbook case of opposition party oppression and political retaliation."
He added, "While I was on the train heading down to Daejeon, I heard that the special prosecutor's team was conducting a search and seizure at our headquarters. Even if the special prosecutor carries out a politically retaliatory search and seizure in a ruthless attempt to destroy the opposition, it will not ruin our party convention."
In particular, regarding the special prosecutor's request for the party's membership list, he questioned, "Why are they trying to search our party headquarters' membership list, which is not even related to any criminal allegations? There must be a relevant criminal allegation for a search and seizure or any action to be taken. What exactly about party membership is related to a criminal allegation?"
He continued, "The membership list is the alpha and omega of our party. It is as vital as the party's lifeblood," and emphasized, "Together with our lawmakers and party members, we will protect our membership list to the very end."
Jeong Jeomsik, the party's secretary general, clarified, "Some media outlets have reported that the search and seizure was related to the policy bureau, but that is not the case. The search and seizure warrant concerns the party membership list."
Jeong further stated, "I have serious doubts about whether such a warrant can even be issued," and stressed, "Under the Criminal Procedure Act, a search and seizure warrant must have a connection to a crime."
He added, "The alleged crimes listed in the search and seizure warrant are violations of the Political Funds Act and bribery, but does the membership of a particular individual in a political party really constitute a financial benefit under the Political Funds Act or bribery? Even if a particular citizen joined our party, that could never be considered a financial benefit."
From the morning of August 13, the special prosecutor's team has been attempting to conduct a search and seizure at the People Power Party headquarters, sending investigators to the scene. The search and seizure warrant specifically names the party membership list as the target.
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