Park Hong-geun, floor leader of the Minjoo Party, and Jang Hye-young, chairman of the Justice Party’s policy committee, have a pre-conversation during a plenary session held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul on the 30th of last month. joint photo shoot
On the 30th of last month, all six members of the Justice Party voted in favor of the amendment to the Prosecutor’s Office Act to legislate the ‘completely deprived of the prosecution’s investigative authority’, which was led by the Democratic Party of Korea as the main goal of the separation of investigation and prosecution. There are also signs of a backlash despite the explanation that the Justice Party’s request was reflected in the amendment. This is because voices of protest have emerged among those who broke up with the Democratic Party in the wake of the ‘motherland crisis’, which gave the Justice Party the stigma of ‘the second company of the Democratic Party’.
A vote in favor of the Justice Party was expected. Previously, the Justice Party expressed its support for the amendment to the amendment following the content of the request of ‘extension of the prosecution’s direct investigation into election crimes’ was reflected in the mediation of National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seok. Nevertheless, it is evaluated that it is somewhat surprising that the Justice Party lawmakers all attended and voted in favor of the plenary session convened on a holiday. This is especially true considering that Cho Jung-hoon, a former member of the Citizens’ Party, and Yong Hye-in, a member of the Basic Income Party, both opposed and abstained, respectively, from the satellite party “Citizens Party” created by the Democratic Party ahead of the 2020 general election. Yang Hyang-ja, an independent lawmaker from the Democratic Party, also abstained.
There is also an opinion that there is a kind of ‘deal’ with the Democratic Party, which is stepping on the accelerator pedal to complete the inspection over the fact that the Justice Party did not show any departure votes at all. This is because the Democratic Party took the lead in the pilot implementation of the middle and presidential constituency system requested by the Justice Party in the Basic Assembly election in the June 1 local election, and the Democratic Party exerted its efforts to hold a public hearing to enact the Justice Party’s long-cherished anti-discrimination law (Equal Act). . In the end, it was speculated that the vote in favor was cast in return for the Democratic Party.
An official from the Justice Party said, “It is not at all true that there was a deal with the Democratic Party.” He said, “I was in favor of the prosecution reform following a separate discussion with the legislature regardless of the anti-discrimination law.”
Nevertheless, the progressive camp, which is a supporter of the Justice Party, is opposed to the fact that the Justice Party participated in the Democratic Party’s legislative runaway. In the progressive camp, many view the Democratic Party’s push for oversight as ‘appealing the strong supporters’ or ‘protecting my family, including politicians’. Jin Joong-kwon, a former professor of Dongyang University, a member of the Justice Party, said on Facebook on the 1st, “It’s ridiculous,” and said, “Even if the Democrats are originally like that, the Justice Party also joined the act. Just be reasonable.”
An official from the Justice Party said, “We plan to discuss in earnest when the Special Committee on Judicial Reform of the National Assembly is formed regarding concerns regarding the possibility of a vacuum in victims’ relief (proposed by the supporters).” We will review the criticisms that have been raised in various fields in the past,” he said.
Lee Seong-taek reporter highnoon@hankookilbo.com