Democratic Party of Korea to Pressure Prosecution Through Legislation

The Democratic Party of Korea is expected to pressure the prosecution through legislation, following the maximum two-year prison sentence for Rep. Lee Jae-myeong on charges of violating the Public Official Election Law.

The investigation into former President Moon Jae-in’s son-in-law has sparked a harsh response from the Democratic Party, which views the prosecution’s actions as an attack on the entire party.

Legislation to Curtail Prosecutorial Powers

The Democratic Party is pushing legislation aimed at curtailing prosecutorial powers through a so-called ‘Full Prosecution Season 2’. The National Assembly’s Law and Judiciary Committee will review a criminal law amendment proposed by Rep. Lee Jeon-tae that penalizes prosecutors for perverting the law.

The bill was drafted by the Democratic Party to address prosecutorial powers, which have been deemed to have lost legitimacy through politically biased investigations and trials.

Impeachment Charges Against Prosecutors

Hearings on the impeachment charges against the four prosecutors in charge of Representative Lee are underway as part of the prosecution’s pressure strategy. The Judiciary Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing on the impeachment bill against Prosecutor Park Sang-yong on the 2nd of next month.

A hearing for prosecutor Kim Yong-cheol has already been held on the 14th of last month. Hearings for prosecutors Kang Baek-shin and Yeom Hee-joon will also be held after the National Assembly’s audit is completed.

Insufficient Investigation into First Lady Kim Kun-hee

The Democratic Party points out that the investigation into First Lady Kim Kun-hee is insufficient and protests that the prosecution is only applying strict standards to opposition parties and the former administration.

Former prime minister Kim Bu-gyeom has also raised his voice, questioning the fairness of the prosecution’s investigation. He criticized on Facebook, “I am very concerned about Rep. Lee’s punishment, but the law should be equal for all people.”

Committee to Prevent Political Oppression of the Former Regime

The Democratic Party has formed the ‘Committee to Prevent Political Oppression of the Former Regime’ in response to the investigation into allegations of preferential employment of former President Moon’s son-in-law at an airline.

Some are discussing the possibility of pushing for the impeachment of prosecutors investigating cases related to former President Moon.

Prosecution Reform Act

The Democratic Party, along with other opposition parties, has announced that it will finalize the Prosecution Reform Act aimed at abolishing the Prosecutor’s Office during the regular National Assembly session.

With Representative Lee’s maximum prison sentence further igniting a judicial risk that could threaten the entire party, attention is focused on what impact the Democratic Party’s hard-line response will have on future political situations.

If Representative Lee is found guilty in the Public Official Election Act trial scheduled for November, it will be a significant political blow not only to Representative Lee, but to the entire party.