Statement Signed by 107 Lawmakers
"Investigate Woo Wonshik"
On November 4, the People Power Party issued a statement signed by 107 of its National Assembly members, declaring, "We strongly condemn Special Prosecutor Cho Eunsuk's politically motivated and excessive investigation and the manipulated arrest warrant request against former floor leader Choo Kyung-ho, which aims to suppress the opposition and fabricate charges of insurrection." The party also called for an investigation into National Assembly Speaker Woo Wonshik for delaying the vote to lift martial law during the emergency martial law period.
Members of the People Power Party are protesting on the 4th in the main plenary hall of the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, where President Lee Jae-myung's policy speech on next year's budget proposal is taking place, without entering the hall, condemning the arrest warrant request for former floor leader Choo Kyung-ho. Photo by Yonhap News
The People Power Party released this statement immediately after President Lee Jae-myung's policy speech at the National Assembly that morning. The party asserted, "The 'double-edged sword' of the Lee Jae-myung administration-Special Prosecutor and police-are recklessly persecuting the opposition in a frenzied and impatient manner," adding, "The arrest warrant request for former floor leader Choo by Special Prosecutor Cho Eunsuk is the result of a predetermined investigation, launched with the goal of labeling the People Power Party as an insurrectionist party."
The statement continued, "The claim that sending a text message to notify the location of the general assembly constitutes an act of obstructing the vote is completely unfounded and baseless-nothing more than delusion," emphasizing, "On the night of December 3 last year, not a single one of the 107 People Power Party lawmakers was prevented from voting freely according to their conscience and will."
Furthermore, the party declared, "If there is to be an investigation into obstruction of the vote to lift martial law, it should start with Speaker Woo Wonshik, who delayed the vote until President Lee Jae-myung entered the main chamber," adding, "The police, who have become the Gestapo of the Lee Jae-myung administration, continue to conduct humiliating, retaliatory political investigations against the opposition’s former presidential candidate and emergency committee chair on charges of violating the Public Official Election Act."
The People Power Party also criticized the police for referring former presidential candidate Kim Moonsoo to the prosecution without detention for handing out five campaign cards to cleaning workers at a train station, stating, "When the Democratic Party belatedly filed a complaint over a matter already closed by an official letter from the National Election Commission, the police rushed to launch an investigation at the ruling party's behest."
Additionally, the party condemned the ongoing police investigation into Kwon Youngse, a People Power Party lawmaker, for sending Lunar New Year gifts to ten conservative YouTubers while he was the party’s emergency committee chair, stating, "The police have closed the case against President Lee Jae-myung for the same matter without charges, but continue to investigate Chairman Kwon," and added, "This is a textbook case of 'the winner is innocent, the loser is guilty'-a disgraceful act of political retaliation."
The People Power Party concluded, "Before punishing opposition figures for violating the Public Official Election Act, President Lee Jae-myung’s own trial for election law violations must be resumed," adding, "These humiliating investigations targeting opposition leaders-including the former presidential candidate, emergency committee chair, and floor leader-are unconstitutional acts of political retaliation and suppression of the opposition."
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