On the morning of the 19th, Kim Byung-gi, the floor leader of the Democratic Party, announced at a party strategy meeting in the National Assembly that the party plans to process an amendment to the Public Institutions Operation Act during the regular session. The proposed amendment aims to align the terms of public institution heads with the presidential term to prevent holdovers from the previous administration.
Kim stated, “We will remove Yoon Suk-yeol’s holdovers to normalize public institutions.” He criticized the appointment of parachute personnel like Kim Hyung-seok to major public institutions during President Yoon’s term, noting, “A total of 45 heads of public institutions, most not properly vetted for their qualifications or views on national matters, were appointed after the imposition of martial law.”
He also commented that 23 of those appointments occurred after the president’s impeachment, and when including chief directors, the scale is even larger. Kim called these actions “unconscionable and a waste of taxpayer money,” claiming they don’t align with the spirit of completely ending internal conflict.
Furthermore, he promised to pass an amendment to the Public Institutions Operation Act during the upcoming regular session. “The core of the amendment is to align the terms of public institution heads with the presidential term to enhance accountability and transparency,” he said, mentioning that they might further refine the law if necessary during the review process.
The criticism also extended to Han Duck-soo, the former Prime Minister, who is facing charges of treason. Kim accused Han of drafting and signing false proclamations to justify Yoon’s imposition of martial law and of consistently portraying himself as uninvolved in the martial law declaration during parliamentary and constitutional hearings.
Kim concluded by stating that the Democratic Party would ensure that all alleged co-conspirators in the treason case, including Han and Lee Sang-min, the former Minister of the Interior and Safety, face justice, promising to establish reporting centers and amend laws to achieve a complete end to the internal conflict.