Democratic Party to Proceed with Dedicated Insurrection Court Despite Constitutional Concerns... Aims for Passage in December Extraordinary Session

December 7 Press Briefing by Democratic Party Secretary-General Cho Seungrae
"Judiciary Must Respond, as the Court Has Also Declared Martial Law Unconstitutional"

The Democratic Party of Korea has announced its intention to proceed without delay with the legislation to establish a dedicated court for insurrection cases during the December extraordinary session of the National Assembly, despite ongoing constitutional controversy.

Yonhap News Agency

On December 7, at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Democratic Party Secretary-General Cho Seungrae stated during a press briefing, "Through the extraordinary session convened from December 10, we plan to steadily and sequentially address key reform tasks, such as the dedicated insurrection court bill, which aims to alleviate public concerns by ensuring swift and professional trials for insurrection cases."

Secretary-General Cho referred to the first anniversary of the December 3 Martial Law, saying, "This past week reaffirmed the unwavering and firm will of the people to fundamentally eradicate insurrectionist forces," adding, "In contrast, the People Power Party and Representative Jang Donghyuk have not even issued an official apology, which is deceptive, and it has become even clearer that the People Power Party is complicit with insurrectionist forces."

He continued, "In this context, we will faithfully respond to the public's demand for a fundamental and swift eradication of insurrectionist forces by proceeding without delay with the establishment of the dedicated insurrection court, and we also plan to actively consider whether to form an additional special prosecutor team."

Secretary-General Cho emphasized, "Given that the court, through the meeting of court presidents, has declared the December 3 Martial Law unconstitutional, I believe the judiciary must respond to the public's demands."

However, as concerns about potential unconstitutionality have been raised, Secretary-General Cho acknowledged, "It is true that there are concerns about unconstitutionality," and added, "If necessary, we will make amendments to dispel these concerns." He also noted, "As far as I know, there has not been close communication with the presidential office regarding the relevant bill."

Earlier that day, the Rebuilding Korea Party had expressed concerns about the possibility of unconstitutionality and the potential suspension of insurrection-related trials in relation to the dedicated insurrection court bill promoted by the Democratic Party. On December 6, the National Court Presidents' Conference also voiced concerns, stating that the establishment of a dedicated insurrection court could be unconstitutional.

In addition, Secretary-General Cho mentioned other bills targeted for passage during the extraordinary session, including an amendment to the National Assembly Act to strengthen requirements for filibusters (unlimited debate), the Telecommunications Network Act to punish false or manipulated information and fake news, and judicial reform bills.

Meanwhile, on December 5, as the 'one person, one vote system'-which would have set the ratio of votes between delegates and party members with voting rights at 1:1-was rejected by the Central Committee, criticisms have emerged regarding Representative Jeong Cheongrae's leadership. Secretary-General Cho responded, "There needs to be restraint from framing every issue around a particular individual," and added, "Whether it is the party leader or the president, interpreting everything through the lens of a single individual is a serious mistake, distorts the essence of the issue, and hinders reasonable public debate and deliberation."

Regarding the call for his resignation by Yoo Dongcheol, head of the Busan Suyeong District Committee, who cited Secretary-General Cho's role in handling the practical aspects of the one person, one vote initiative, Cho stated, "I will not evade responsibility," and added, "After discussions and adjustments, we drafted a revised proposal, but it is very regrettable that even this could not be passed."

Due to low voter turnout, the proposed amendments to the party constitution and regulations regarding the June 3 local election nomination rules, which were also rejected by the Central Committee, are scheduled to be reported to the Supreme Council on December 8 after a meeting of the local election planning committee at 2 p.m. that day, in order to expedite their processing.