90-Day Investigation Period, with Two 30-Day Extensions Possible
Probing Allegations of Unification Church Bribery and Cover-Up
The People Power Party and the Reform New Party jointly proposed a special prosecutor bill on December 23 to investigate alleged collusion between political circles and the Unification Church.
People Power Party Chief Deputy Floor Spokesperson Gwak Kyutaek and Reform New Party Policy Committee Chair Lee Jooyoung submitted a special prosecutor bill to the National Assembly Secretariat on the 23rd to investigate allegations of financial support from the Unification Church to the political sphere. Photo by Yonhap News Agency
Gwak Kyutaek, Chief Deputy Floor Spokesperson of the People Power Party, and Lee Jooyoung, Policy Committee Chair of the Reform New Party, visited the National Assembly Secretariat that afternoon to submit the “Act on the Appointment of a Special Prosecutor to Investigate Allegations of Illegal Financial Transactions and Collusion Between the Unification Church and Political Figures.”
The bill was co-sponsored by Song Eonseok, Floor Leader of the People Power Party, and Chun Haram, Floor Leader of the Reform New Party. A total of 110 lawmakers from both parties signed the bill.
According to the bill, the investigation targets are: ▲ Allegations of the Unification Church providing money or illegal political funds to politicians and related receipt of such funds ▲ Allegations of the Unification Church systematically encouraging its members to join political parties and exerting influence within those parties ▲ Allegations of concealment, obstruction, delay, distortion, or manipulation of investigations by Special Prosecutor Min Junggi, the Presidential Office, or other related agencies and public officials ▲ Allegations of meetings with or requests for meetings with President Han Hakja and related lobbying activities.
The recommendation of special prosecutor candidates, which was a point of contention between the two parties, will be made by the Chief Justice of the National Court Administration (Supreme Court Justice). Two candidates will be recommended, and the President will appoint one. If the appointment is not made within three days, the older of the two candidates will be automatically appointed.
The special prosecutor team will consist of up to four assistant special prosecutors and up to 80 special investigators. Excluding prosecutors, up to 100 government officials may be seconded upon request. The bill stipulates a 20-day investigation preparation period and a basic 90-day investigation period, with the possibility of two extensions of 30 days each.
Assemblyman Gwak stated, "This is the first time in the 22nd National Assembly that a right-wing opposition party is jointly proposing a special prosecutor bill. I hope that this special prosecutor investigation will fully uncover suspicions of insufficient investigation and dereliction of duty by Special Prosecutor Min Junggi."
Policy Committee Chair Lee said, "We are proposing this special prosecutor bill to put an end to the kind of politics where anyone with power and money can collude like moths to a flame."
The Democratic Party has accepted the opposition's demand for a special prosecutor investigation into the Unification Church, but there are still significant differences over details such as the right to recommend special prosecutor candidates. Both the ruling and opposition parties have decided to proceed with additional consultations after each submits their own special prosecutor bill regarding the Unification Church.
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