"Was the Vote Delayed Until President Lee Arrived?" Claims Raised
"Disclose the Basis for Martial Law Conviction and Submit to the Special Prosecutor"
Han Donghoon, former leader of the People Power Party, has once again called on the Democratic Party of Korea to disclose the basis on which they were convinced of the imposition of martial law four months prior to its declaration. He argues that if the grounds for martial law are made public and submitted to the special prosecutor, it would help reveal the truth, especially given that the special prosecutor, whom he accuses of being obsessed with him and manipulating the media, would benefit from this disclosure.
On the 15th, Han Donghoon stated on his social networking service (SNS), "At today's public meeting of the Democratic Party leadership, a Democratic Party lawmaker responded to my request-'Please disclose the grounds on which the Democratic Party was convinced of martial law last August and September'-not by answering, but by saying, 'Are you frustrated because no one is engaging with you?'"
He further criticized, "Just like Speaker Woo Wonsik's comment yesterday, 'Is it because you have never been a lawmaker?' this is an attempt to dodge difficult questions with ridicule. The Democratic Party's authoritarian and old-fashioned mindset seems to have nothing to do with age."
Han: "Did You Wait for Lee for the Martial Law Vote?"... Woo Wonsik: "Is It Because You've Never Been a Lawmaker?" Heated Exchange
Meanwhile, Han Donghoon, who has refused to be questioned as a witness by the special prosecutor for the insurrection case (Special Prosecutor Cho Eunsuk), has raised questions about the actions of the Democratic Party and National Assembly Speaker Woo Wonsik on the night of December 3 last year, when the vote to lift martial law took place.
On the 14th, Han Donghoon claimed via SNS, "There is nothing more for me to say to the special prosecutor about martial law, but there is much that needs to be heard from members of the Democratic Party."
He called on the special prosecutor to "find out how the Democratic Party was so certain that martial law would be declared in advance, and why Speaker Woo delayed the vote to lift martial law for dozens of minutes even though a quorum had already been reached." During a live broadcast on SNS that night, he also commented, "It feels as though the Democratic Party and Speaker Woo were prepared, knowing that former President Yoon Suk Yeol would declare martial law."
However, in response to Han's claims, Speaker Woo stated on SNS on the 14th, "Is it because you've never been a lawmaker? The Speaker of the National Assembly does not set the session time alone," adding, "Consultation with the floor leaders of the negotiation groups is required." He further explained, "The final consultation with floor leader Chu Kyungho and others was completed at 1 a.m. that day," and "If the Speaker arbitrarily changes the time simply because a quorum has been reached, without any special change in circumstances, it constitutes a procedural violation."
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