Controversy over the 'Yoon Candidacy Ban Law'... Kim Ki-hyun Says "Include the Prime Minister Too"

"Other public officials are set at 90 days, but only judges and prosecutors are singled out"
"Prosecutor General Yoon, from our perspective, is politically neutral"

Kim Ki-hyun, a member of the People Power Party, is engaging in unlimited debate on the partial amendment bill (alternative) concerning the establishment and operation of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials at the National Assembly plenary session on the afternoon of the 9th. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Ju-hyung] On the controversy surrounding the bill proposed by Choi Kang-wook, a member of the Open Democratic Party, which requires incumbent prosecutors and judges to resign one year before running for public office, being called the "Yoon Seok-yeol Candidacy Ban Act," Kim Ki-hyun, a member of the People Power Party, pointed out on the 14th, "The Prime Minister holds far more powerful authority compared to judges and prosecutors, so why is it allowed to run for election if they resign only 90 days prior?"

Kim appeared on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' that day and said, "Other public officials are regulated to resign 90 days in advance, but only judges and prosecutors are singled out, and this was immediately followed after Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol appeared, which is truly ridiculous."

He continued, "The Constitution guarantees freedom of occupation and equality for all citizens. This is an attempt to discriminate against judges and prosecutors without reasonable grounds compared to other public officials," adding, "If the intention is to ban judges and prosecutors from running for office for one year after resignation, then all public officials should be banned for one year."

He also criticized, "There are two members of the Democratic Party who became lawmakers within one year of retirement, both former judges," and said, "If you want to argue, the Democratic Party lawmakers should resign first."

Kim raised his voice, saying, "Isn't the ruling party and Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae the ones who made Prosecutor General Yoon like this?" and "They pushed him into a political position and then say, 'Why are you doing politics?' which is laughable."

He emphasized, "The ruling party says that Prosecutor General Yoon's political neutrality is not neutral politically, but from our perspective, he is politically neutral," and "He has never declared that he is entering politics, and aside from saying he will consider whether to engage in politics later, there is nothing else."

Choi Kang-wook, leader of the Open Democratic Party, is holding a press conference on the 11th at the National Assembly Communication Office to announce the representative proposal of the partial amendment bill to the Prosecutors' Office Act and the Court Organization Act. / Photo by Yonhap News

Earlier, on the 11th, Representative Choi, along with party members Kim Jin-ae and Kang Min-jung, held a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Office and announced the proposal of partial amendments to the Prosecutors' Office Act and the Court Organization Act.

The core of the amendment is that judges and prosecutors who intend to run for public office must resign one year before the election to be eligible as candidates. Under the current Public Official Election Act, judges and prosecutors, who are national public officials, must resign 90 days before the election date to run.

Representative Choi explained the reason for proposing the bill, saying, "Due to the blatant political activities of the Prosecutor General and some prosecutors currently taking place, national division and disruption of state affairs are causing harm to the people," and "We aim to cut off prosecutorial politics and restore judicial trust to enhance the fairness and neutrality of investigations and judicial procedures."

However, some have pointed out that this bill is effectively a "Yoon Seok-yeol Candidacy Ban Act." According to the bill, Prosecutor General Yoon must resign from his position before March next year to run in the next presidential election (scheduled for March 2022). However, Yoon's term lasts until July next year. If Yoon completes his term, he will be unable to run as a presidential candidate.

In response to this criticism, Representative Choi rebutted in a post on his Facebook page that day, citing the case of former Gwangju District Court Chief Judge Jang Dong-hyuk, who submitted a resignation letter to run in the April 15 general election during the trial for defamation of the late Father Cho Bi-o against former President Chun Doo-hwan, and was nominated as the United Future Party (predecessor of the People Power Party) candidate for Daejeon Yuseong Gap. He said, "(This) was the decisive reason for preparing the bill."

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