On the 11th, People Power Party lawmaker Jang Dong-hyuk asked for the disclosure of budget execution details, citing suspicions that since the launch of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, the National Assembly has mainly appointed lawyers with pro-opposition tendencies for the impeachment trials of high-ranking government officials.
At a press conference at the National Assembly, Jang stated, “The total budget used by the National Assembly for impeachment trials since the launch of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration is 460 million won,” emphasizing that “citizens have the right to know why such a large amount of taxpayer money is being wasted.”
Jang criticized that although he had requested documents detailing how much budget was used for 29 impeachment motions, which lawyers were appointed as representatives, and under what conditions fees were paid, the National Assembly Secretariat and the Legislation and Judiciary Committee only provided vague figures of ‘annual expenditure.’ He questioned, “Why does the National Assembly Secretariat, led by a Speaker and Secretary-General from the Democratic Party of Korea, not provide the details of the costs for hiring impeachment representatives?”
He continued, “There are suspicions that pro-opposition lawyers were appointed to unfairly influence the impeachment process. If there is nothing to hide, they should transparently disclose specific budget execution details, lawyer appointment records, and fee payment conditions.”
Furthermore, Jang noted, “Upon reviewing the Constitutional Court’s website, it appears that certain law firms or lawyers have been consistently appointed (as representatives in impeachment cases). Some lawyers were appointed multiple times for various cases, which is difficult to understand. It is necessary to clarify these matters to prevent the public from having doubts or suspicions.”