People Power Party Urges Public to Oppose 'Three Judicial Bills' on March 3
March on Foot from Yeouido to the Blue House Begins
Jang Donghyuk, leader of the People Power Party, launched an outdoor protest on March 3, urging President Lee Jaemyung to exercise his veto power against the so-called 'Three Judicial Bills' (the crime of judicial distortion, introduction of judicial petition, and expansion of Supreme Court justices). The People Power Party condemned these bills, which passed the National Assembly led by the Democratic Party of Korea, and began a march on foot from the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul to the Blue House.
Dressed in a black suit and black tie, Jang took the podium at the send-off ceremony for the 'National March to Appeal for Judicial Independence and Constitutional Protection' held at the National Assembly in Yeouido. He declared, "I strongly warn President Lee Jaemyung," adding, "He must abandon his dream of long-term dictatorship and exercise his veto power against the three judicial destruction bills in order to uphold the constitutional order."
He further stated, "The reason we are gathered here is to defend the constitutional order of liberal democracy," stressing, "The first step is to achieve victory in the local elections. I ask all party members and citizens to unite their voices and strength."
He continued, "The so-called 'Three Judicial Destruction Bills' are ultimately an attempt to create a Lee Jaemyung dictatorship republic," asserting, "If we fail to block dictatorship, those in power will deprive us of our freedoms."
Jang Donghyuk, leader of the People Power Party, is speaking at the send-off ceremony of the "National March to Denounce for Judicial Independence and Constitutional Protection" held in front of the National Assembly Main Building on the 3rd. Photo by Yonhap News Agency
Song Eonseok, floor leader, who attended the send-off ceremony, also joined in the criticism. He said, "The Lee Jaemyung administration is leveraging its majority in the National Assembly to exclude the opposition and use legislative power to pressure the judiciary," pointing out, "Because of these destructive judicial bills, even judges-the last bastion of justice-are now forced to be mindful of the administration's wishes."
He also remarked, "The essence of a democratic republic is checks and balances on power, namely the separation of powers," and added, "Since the current administration took office, the mechanisms of checks have collapsed, leading to concentration of power and a disruption of balance."
He said, "The People Power Party worked hard in the National Assembly to block these three judicial bills, but dictatorship has already begun. Please inspire courage so that judges can stand firm. As the opposition party, we will also take the lead in defending South Korea's judicial system."
On this day, People Power Party lawmakers and party chapter heads set out on foot from the National Assembly to the Blue House, appealing to the public along the way. This protest was intended to urge President Lee to exercise his right to request reconsideration (veto) of the 'Three Judicial Bills,' which passed the National Assembly under the leadership of the Democratic Party of Korea, and to increase pressure on the administration and ruling party to scrap the bills.
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