Ruling and Opposition Parties Begin Negotiations on LH Special Investigation... "Investigation Up to 90 Days" vs "Should Last 1 Year"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] On the 23rd, the ruling and opposition parties entered into practical negotiations to introduce a special prosecutor for the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) scandal, but they failed to reach an agreement due to conflicts over the scope and targets of the investigation.

Kim Young-jin, the senior deputy floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, and Kim Sung-won, the senior deputy floor leader of the People Power Party, held the first meeting of the '3+3' consultative body at the National Assembly and began discussions on detailed matters including the method of recommending the special prosecutor.

After the meeting, Senior Deputy Floor Leader Kim Young-jin told reporters, "We agreed to thoroughly eradicate real estate speculation this time, to root out the speculative culture among public officials, and to establish a turning point for institutional reform." Senior Deputy Floor Leader Kim Sung-won said, "Regarding the recommendation, scale, and duration of the special prosecutor, each party will discuss more deeply and meet again."

During the closed-door meeting, the Democratic Party proposed that the special prosecutor’s investigation period be up to about 90 days, but the People Power Party reportedly insisted that it should last at least one year. However, there was some convergence of opinions regarding the investigative body for a full investigation of elected officials such as members of the National Assembly. In this regard, Senior Deputy Floor Leader Kim Young-jin stated, "We agreed to discuss the proposal to enact a special law and a third alternative."

Meanwhile, Senior Deputy Floor Leader Kim Sung-won said about the state audit, "Both parties will submit a request for the state audit and discuss the scope and other details."

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