The article describes an event on December 12, 2024, where Han Dong-hoon, the leader of the People Power Party (PPP), showed a stern expression at a general meeting of party members held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul. The meeting was for electing the party’s floor leader, with candidates Kwon Seong-dong and Kim Tae-ho present in the front row. The PPP decided to oppose both the ‘Special Prosecutor Law on President Yoon Seok-yeol’s December 3rd insurrection situation’ and the ‘Special Prosecutor Law on First Lady Kim Keon-hee’.
Kwon Seong-dong, the newly elected floor leader of the PPP, stated that the party reached a consensus to disapprove both special prosecutor bills. The insurrection special prosecutor bill had recently passed through the Legislation and Judiciary Committee of the National Assembly with the support of opposition parties, and the bill concerning the First Lady, which had been voted down on a previous occasion, was reintroduced for consideration.
Kwon argued that the bill regarding the First Lady had been rejected three times before and claimed that the fourth version of the bill was even worse than the third. He pointed out that the new bill altered the method of recommending a special prosecutor, shifting from a three-party recommendation to one where the Democratic Party and another non-negotiating group would each recommend one candidate. Kwon expressed doubt about the Democratic Party’s intention to pass the special prosecutor bill and viewed it as a political maneuver.
Despite the PPP’s opposition, there remains a possibility of a significant number of dissenting votes within the party. Over time, support for the special prosecutor bill concerning the First Lady had been increasing, and 22 PPP members had voted in favor of the recently passed permanent special prosecutor amendment.