Kim Byungki: "No Forgiveness for Public Officials Involved in Rebellion"... Oh Sehoon: "Indiscriminate Investigations"

Government Moves to Purge Public Officials Involved in Martial Law
Kim Byungki: "Officials Who Cooperated Should Not Receive Salaries"
Concerns Over 'Aligning Public Officials' Ahead of Next Year’s Local Elections

The political arena is embroiled in controversy over the Lee Jaemyung administration's move to purge public officials involved in the December 3 Martial Law. The ruling bloc maintains that measures against those who participated in the rebellion are necessary, while the opposition criticizes the government and ruling party for effectively attempting to align the public sector ahead of next year’s local elections. With a sweeping reshuffle of public officials expected to continue into early next year, political circles are on high alert, as these changes could significantly impact regional sentiment and the national political landscape.

Kim Byung-ki, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is speaking at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 12th. Photo by Yonhap News

Kim Byungki, Floor Leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, stated at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on this day, "There will be zero tolerance for public officials who have betrayed the people," expressing strong support for the government's task force. He emphasized, "Any public official, regardless of their identity, who participated in or cooperated with the December 3 Martial Law or the rebellion must be held accountable," adding, "Those who have destroyed the Constitution should never hold public office or receive salaries funded by taxpayers."

The Democratic Party expects that the "Government Innovation Task Force for Constitutional Respect," launched under the pretext of purging rebellion collaborators, will help restore constitutional order and national morality. Park Kyuntaek, a Democratic Party lawmaker serving on the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee, said on CBS Radio’s "Kim Hyun-jung’s News Show," "There have been issues with promotions for public officials, such as soldiers and police officers, who either cooperated with or took pleasure in the rebellion, so we aim to distinguish the right from the wrong through a thorough investigation." Regarding concerns that some officials might be unfairly disadvantaged due to slanderous reports, he added, "There must be objective verification."

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon is speaking at the 'Local Election General Planning Team - Metropolitan Mayors Joint Meeting' held at the party headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul on the 12th. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

In contrast, the opposition views this task force as a tool for political retaliation. Seoul Mayor Oh Sehoon, speaking at the Local Election General Planning Team and Metropolitan Mayors Joint Meeting held at the People Power Party headquarters in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, on this day, said, "The Lee Jaemyung administration and the Democratic Party are not only attempting to seize control of the judiciary and the prosecution, but are now also using the pretext of martial law and rebellion participation to announce indiscriminate investigations into public officials," and stressed, "They have now launched a full-scale campaign to undermine Oh Sehoon by ruthlessly attacking Seoul’s municipal administration."

There are also concerns that large-scale investigations and personnel actions against public officials could deepen social divisions. Lee Donghun, Chief Spokesperson of the Reform Party, stated in a commentary, "When the Moon Jae-in administration called for eradicating deep-rooted evils right after taking office, the public expected justice, but the result was a frame of political retaliation, forced alignment within the public sector, and extreme division," adding, "The public is now recalling those memories once again."