The Democratic Party has decided to submit an amended version of the ‘Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor Law’ to the National Assembly plenary session scheduled for the 14th. To increase the feasibility of the special prosecutor law, they intend to limit the investigation to suspicions involving Kim Geon-hee’s alleged involvement in stock manipulation of Deutsche Motors and election interference allegations triggered by Myung Tae-kyun. The proposal also changes the method of selecting the special prosecutor candidates from being chosen by the opposition party to a ‘third-party recommendation’ system.
Han Min-su, spokesperson for the Democratic Party, announced this decision to reporters after attending the Supreme Council meeting at the National Assembly. Han explained that although there are numerous allegations of misconduct and involvement in state affairs surrounding Kim Geon-hee, the scope has been significantly reduced in the amended proposal. The amendment specifically focuses on the suspicions of stock manipulation and election intervention related to Kim.
Additionally, Han emphasized that this measure is taken to align with the public’s demand for a special prosecutor. The Democratic Party has decisively chosen to narrow the scope of the investigation and open the recommendation process to third parties to facilitate the passage of the special prosecutor law.
This marks the third attempt by the Democratic Party to propose the Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor Law, originally encompassing 13 different subjects for investigation. The previous recommendation authority was limited to the Democratic Party and non-negotiated groups, excluding the ruling party, which has dubbed the broad investigative scope and sole recommendation right as toxic provisions, opposing the proposal.
The Democratic Party’s shift toward submitting an amended proposal seems to aim at securing ‘defecting votes’ from the ruling party when it comes to a re-vote. If the Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor Law passes in the plenary session on the 14th but President Yoon Suk-yeol exercises a veto (request for reconsideration), it would require a re-vote on the 28th, needing at least eight defecting votes from the ruling party to avoid being discarded. In a previous re-vote on the 4th of last month, four such defecting votes occurred.
By emphasizing the points from the ruling party they have accommodated in their amended proposal, the Democratic Party plans to put maximum pressure on the People Power Party. During the Supreme Council meeting, Park Chan-dae, floor leader of the Democratic Party, criticized the idea that past crimes could be punished by existing offices, calling for special prosecution to meet public expectations. Furthermore, he urged Han Dong-hoon to stop citing toxic provisions and present a publicly agreeable plan, offering sincere discussions in return.
Park warned that if the ruling party continues to engage in oppositional behavior merely for its own sake, it could lead to greater public disappointment and anger, suggesting that this could result in the downfall of those opposing the public sentiment. He concluded by calling for a strong push not only for the special prosecutor law but also for a national inquiry into the two-year-old Marine Corps death investigation, highlighting the urgency of these issues.