Jung Jin-seok, Deputy Speaker, "Condemns the Public Corruption Investigation Office's Infringement on the Legislature... Demands Apology from the Chief"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] Jeong Jin-seok, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly from the People Power Party, on the 10th condemned the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Agency (HCIA) for raiding the office of Kim Woong, a key figure in the alleged complaint solicitation scandal, at the National Assembly members' office building, and demanded an apology from the HCIA chief.

Deputy Speaker Jeong stated on Facebook that "Until now, the prosecution or the National Intelligence Service (NIS) would notify the National Assembly in advance and request cooperation when conducting a raid within the National Assembly premises, but the HCIA ignored all such procedures and customs this time."

He criticized, "The HCIA investigation team arrived at the members' office building reception at 9:25 a.m. and executed the raid at 10:10 a.m., even lying that they had obtained permission from Representative Kim. Neither the Supreme Prosecutors' Office's Criminal Investigation Department nor the NIS has ever acted so recklessly."

Deputy Speaker Jeong said, "The case named the complaint solicitation incident remains unclear in substance. It is unprecedented for the HCIA to immediately conduct a raid on an opposition party lawmaker in such a case."

He added, "The HCIA is excessively conducting raids on opposition lawmakers and has indicted the most prominent candidate of the main opposition party (former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol) just six months before the presidential election. We urge investigative agencies to exercise restraint as this undermines and regresses parliamentary democracy."

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