Ruling and Opposition Floor Leaders to Meet on "Unification Church Special Prosecutor"
Ongoing Disputes Over Insurrection Court Bill and Other Issues
On December 22, the Democratic Party of Korea announced its intention to push for a special prosecutor bill regarding the so-called "Unification Church Gate," accelerating related discussions. As the ruling and opposition parties enter a three-day standoff involving a filibuster over bills such as the establishment of a dedicated court for insurrection cases, discussions on the special prosecutor bill are expected to continue throughout this period.
Kim Byungki, Floor Leader of the Democratic Party, and Song Eon-seok, Floor Leader of the People Power Party, agreed on this day to move forward with the Unification Church special prosecutor bill. At the Supreme Council meeting held earlier, Floor Leader Kim stated, "We propose a special prosecutor investigation that includes all politicians from both parties, without exception." In response, Floor Leader Song said at a general assembly, "Since you have accepted the special prosecutor bill, I hope we can proceed with it immediately." The People Power Party and the Reform Party had agreed the previous day to jointly introduce the Unification Church special prosecutor bill and are preparing a joint proposal. Regarding the nomination process for the special prosecutor, both parties agreed to adopt a third-party recommendation system. The floor leaders of both parties are scheduled to meet in the afternoon to continue negotiations.
Jeong Cheongrae, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is speaking at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on December 22, 2025. Photo by Kim Hyunmin
The legislative process for bills such as the establishment of a dedicated court for insurrection cases will begin at the plenary session. The Democratic Party plans to sequentially introduce and process the bill to establish a dedicated court for insurrection cases and the amendment to the Information and Communications Network Act during the plenary session held from December 22 to 24.
Initially, the Democratic Party had planned to address the amendment to the Information and Communications Network Act first, but changed the order due to concerns about its constitutionality. During the review by the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, a provision was added to prohibit the distribution of false information due to simple mistakes or errors; however, the Constitutional Court previously ruled that such a provision excessively infringes on freedom of expression.
The bill to establish a dedicated court for insurrection cases, which will be introduced before the amendment to the Information and Communications Network Act, stipulates that the dedicated court will be formed through the judges' council, the work allocation committee, and the appointment process for chief judges at each court. Park Suhyeon, Chief Spokesperson of the Democratic Party, explained, "The provision related to the intervention of Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hui-dae has been removed."
The People Power Party plans to counter with a filibuster. Floor Leader Song stated, "I propose that the introduction of unconstitutional bills at today's plenary session be temporarily suspended," urging that the timing and content of the plenary session be renegotiated through a meeting of the floor leaders.
People Power Party lawmakers, including floor leader Song Eon-seok, are holding a rally condemning the "Lee Jae-myung administration's judicial destruction and the people's gagging bad law" ahead of the plenary session held at the National Assembly on the 22nd. 2025.12.22 Photo by Kim Hyunmin
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