On September 5th, the People Power Party (PPP) criticized the Democratic Party’s push for the ‘Stronger Special Prosecutor’s Act’ and actions related to sexual misconduct cases involving the Reform Party. The PPP accused the act of being a political tool for retribution and a waste of taxpayers’ money, intending to oppress the opposition. After a standoff during a raid on the PPP’s floor leader’s office regarding the insurrection investigation, the PPP shifted from a defensive stance to an offensive one.
Kim Do-eup, the PPP’s policy committee chair, criticized the Democratic Party for unilaterally expanding investigation scope and duration in their amendment to the special prosecutor laws, suggesting the motive was political retribution. He expressed confidence that even if passed, President Lee Jae-myung would veto it.
Furthermore, the PPP labeled the Democratic reform efforts to strip prosecutorial powers as contradicting their stance on maintaining powers for special prosecutors and the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO). Jeong Hee-yong, the party’s secretary-general, highlighted the financial implications, stating that the expanded special prosecutor personnel would cost an additional 12.2 billion KRW, with a total exceeding 50 billion KRW being a burden on the people.
Na Kyung-won, designated as a judiciary committee secretary, linked political special prosecutions to delays in people’s livelihood investigations and increased tax burdens, criticizing proposals for special courts aimed at trying insurrection cases.
Additionally, the PPP condemned Cho Kang-wook, leader of the Reform Party’s education and training center, for making remarks perceived as secondary harm in connection to a sexual misconduct incident within his party. The PPP demanded his dismissal if the inquiry by the Democratic Party was genuine and not superficial.
The PPP plans to escalate their campaigns against the ruling party leading up to the Chuseok holiday, strategizing to foster negative sentiment towards the government’s policies. They are also considering protests outside the National Assembly to draw public attention to alleged legislative overreach by the Democratic Party.