Lee Nak-yeon: "We must not tire the people any longer... Please pass the Judiciary Committee amendment"

"To Joo Ho-young: 'Opposition leader's absurd remarks against common sense'"
Urging restraint regarding the May 25th KCTU rally

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jin-young] Lee Nak-yeon, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, maintained his stance on the passage of the amendment to the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Office (HCIO) Act on the 23rd, saying, "We must no longer exhaust the people."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

At the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly that morning, Lee said, "This afternoon, the ruling and opposition floor leaders will meet under the chairmanship of the Speaker of the National Assembly to discuss the HCIO issue. Our expression of concern rather than expectation about the talks and our firm resolve stem from the opposition party's attitude toward the HCIO."

He added, "The HCIO is a neutral specialized agency established to investigate crimes of high-ranking officials separately, aiming to check the prosecution's unilateral actions, which has been a long-standing wish of the people. However, the opposition party joined the HCIO chief candidate recommendation committee late this month but consistently opposed it without reason, causing the recommendation to fail. Moreover, yesterday, the opposition leader made an unreasonable slanderous remark about the HCIO," targeting Joo Ho-young, floor leader of the People Power Party. Earlier, on the 22nd, Joo strongly criticized, saying, "The HCIO will become a dumping ground and final disposal site for power-type corruption."

He continued, "It is difficult to understand why only the opposition party obstructs what the majority of the people want so persistently. We cannot help but be disappointed by the opposition's relentless obstruction," and emphasized, "The Legislation and Judiciary Committee should process the HCIO Act amendment according to the National Assembly Act procedures. We also hope other legislative matters will be finalized without hesitation."

Meanwhile, regarding the escalation of social distancing measures due to the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), he also requested restraint from the nationwide general strike rally planned by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) on the 25th. Lee added, "Considering the public's concerns, I hope the rally will be refrained from."

Lee attended the meeting via video conference as he entered a two-week self-quarantine due to close contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case the previous day. He said, "This is the second time during the party convention period that I have been classified as a close contact of a confirmed COVID-19 case and entered a two-week self-quarantine. I deeply apologize to the people and the party. I will strictly follow quarantine guidelines and participate in real-time with the leadership."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.