Hataekyung: "The Opposition's Veto Power on the Corruption Investigation Office Chief Was Created by the Democratic Party Last Year... They Act Recklessly Relying on 180 Seats"

"Now the President Can Freely Control and Shake the Public Corruption Investigation Office"

Ha Tae-kyung, People Power Party lawmaker / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] As the amendment to the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Office (PCC) Act passed the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee led by the Democratic Party of Korea, Ha Tae-kyung, a member of the People Power Party, has voiced strong opposition.

On the 8th, Ha wrote on his Facebook, "The opposition party's veto power over the PCC chief was a provision created by the Democratic Party themselves when they forcibly pushed the fast-track process at the end of last year," adding, "Now that the opposition's veto power has been removed, President Moon Jae-in can freely control and manipulate the PCC."

He further pointed out, "They have broken their promise to the people by removing even the minimum safeguard for fairness and turned the PCC into a regime protection office and a power corruption cover-up office."

Ha cited former Democratic Party lawmaker Geum Tae-seop's comment on the passage of the PCC Act amendment that "Is it reasonable to cheer for prosecutorial reform after creating the 'Woo Byung-woo Act'?" and said, "Former lawmaker Geum well explained the essence of this PCC Act deterioration," adding, "The criticism is that the PCC Act has been reduced to the 'Woo Byung-woo Act,' allowing the president to appoint someone like Woo Byung-woo as PCC chief at will. I fully agree."

He added, "I am afraid of what else those who are rampaging with the confidence of 180 seats will do in the future."

Yoon Ho-jung, Chairman of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee, attempted to pass a partial amendment bill on the establishment and operation of the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Office (Gong-su-cheo) at the committee's plenary meeting on the 8th, while Joo Ho-young, floor leader of the People Power Party, and party members protested. / Photo by Yonhap News

Meanwhile, the Legislation and Judiciary Committee held a plenary session that day and approved the PCC Act amendment by majority vote. Yoon Ho-jung, the committee chairman from the Democratic Party, immediately convened a plenary session and submitted and processed the bill after the agenda adjustment committee handled the PCC Act amendment. Despite strong protests from opposition lawmakers including Joo Ho-young, the floor leader of the People Power Party, the move was not accepted.

The core of the PCC Act amendment is the weakening of the opposition party's veto power in recommending candidates for the PCC chief.

Originally, the PCC Act stipulated that the PCC Chief Candidate Recommendation Committee, composed of seven members including the Minister of Justice, the Chief of the Court Administration, the President of the Korean Bar Association, and four members recommended by the National Assembly (two from the ruling party and two from the opposition), would recommend two candidates with at least six votes in favor. The president would then select one of the two candidates, who would be appointed as PCC chief after a National Assembly confirmation hearing.

On the 8th, at the plenary meeting of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee of the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, members of the People Power Party protested against the Democratic Party members who were trying to pass the partial amendment bill on the establishment and operation of the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Office (Gong-su-cheo) by holding placards with slogans. / Photo by Yonhap News

However, in the recommendation committee meetings held under the law, the People Power Party continuously exercised veto power over the two recommendation committee members allocated to them. As a result, no candidate could receive the required six or more votes, causing difficulties in the PCC chief candidate recommendation process.

The ruling party proposed to amend the law to allow the selection of two PCC chief candidates with the approval of five recommendation committee members to nullify the opposition's veto. This amendment passed the Legislation and Judiciary Committee on the 8th.

The People Power Party strongly criticized this, arguing that "the ruling party trampled on the separation of powers."

On the same day, Bae Jun-young, spokesperson for the People Power Party, said in a verbal statement, "The Democratic Party trampled on the separation of powers like a PCC unit operation at the word of the commander-in-chief, the president," and criticized, "The Democratic Party's fast-track victory sounds like the sound of democracy being hijacked to the people."

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