Jang Sung-min: "The Biggest Victim of the Corruption Investigation Office is Moon... It Will Become a Shacke After Regime Change"

Former Assemblyman Jang Sung-min / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] Amid escalating conflicts between the ruling and opposition parties over the passage of the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Office (HOCI) Act amendment, former lawmaker Jang Sung-min, who served as the Chief of the National Situation Room at the Blue House during the Kim Dae-jung administration, claimed on the 9th that "the biggest victim of the HOCI Act will be President Moon Jae-in after his retirement."

In a post on his Facebook on the same day, former lawmaker Jang criticized, "The Moon Jae-in administration has destroyed the foundation of democracy, which is its political legitimacy, by itself. It has also kicked away the spirit of the candlelight protests, which emphasized citizen participation democracy."

He pointed out, "On the 8th, the ruling party forcibly passed the amendment to establish the HOCI at the plenary meeting of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee. It was as if the new military forces conducted a military operation, suddenly submitting the amendment and passing it in about six minutes," adding, "They completed the bill's passage in about two hours at the Committee on Agenda Coordination and the plenary meeting as if conducting a military operation. They also refused to disclose the discussion process of the Committee on Agenda Coordination to the media and skipped the opposing debate."

He continued, "During this process, the opposition party's opinions were completely blocked," and criticized, "This has resulted in a tragedy of illegal acts and criminal behavior that regress democratic history."

He questioned, "Why is the HOCI necessary? Is it to suppress democracy and citizens' freedom, or is it a preemptive measure to prevent President Moon's arrest after retirement?" He warned, "If the establishment of the HOCI was forcibly pushed as part of a plan to secure personal safety, its main function will become a fatal boomerang to President Moon after his retirement."

He further urged, "Just as the National Assembly Advancement Act, which was enacted to check the ruling party's unilateral actions when it was in the opposition, later became a shackle that stopped state affairs by tying their own feet after becoming the ruling party, the HOCI will also become a shackle that hinders President Moon and the ruling party after a regime change," and called on, "The Moon Jae-in administration should abolish the HOCI even now."

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