Prosecutors' Office 'Opposition Lawmaker Phone Records Inquiry' Controversy... Yoon: "Why Is Former President Moon and the Democratic Party Silent?"

"If Elected President, Will Hold Accountable for Any Surveillance by the Corruption Investigation Office"

Yoon Seok-yeol, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, is announcing his position on the pardon of former President Park Geun-hye at the central party office in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 24th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] The High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Agency (PCA) has been strongly criticized by Yoon Seok-yeol, the People Power Party's presidential candidate, regarding the agency's access to communication data of opposition politicians and journalists. Yoon questioned, "Why are President Moon Jae-in, who insisted so much on establishing the PCA, and the Democratic Party of Korea silent?"

On the 29th, Yoon wrote on Facebook, "Why are those who fiercely condemned intelligence agencies' access to communication data in the past silent about the PCA?"

He added, "Every day, new evidence emerges of illegal surveillance not only on opposition politicians and journalists but also on civilians. The PCA might be under a big misconception. They created an investigative agency for high-ranking officials, but instead of doing their job, they are acting like the domestic branch of intelligence agencies from the authoritarian regime era. They are behaving like the Gestapo."

He continued, "We can never tolerate the PCA's surveillance. Illegal surveillance is a cancerous element threatening the people and democracy," emphasizing, "Based on what has been revealed so far, the PCA has already fallen into the target of investigation. If I become president, I will hold those responsible for the PCA's illegal acts accountable."

Yoon also questioned Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung, saying, "When he experienced a similar situation in the past, he protested by saying 'the National Intelligence Service's fabricated surveillance is not unfamiliar,' so why is he silent this time?"

Earlier, the People Power Party's Public Relations Office announced that as of 3 p.m. on the 28th, the PCA had accessed the communication records of 60 out of 105 People Power Party lawmakers. It was also found that the communication records of party leadership, including floor leader Kim Ki-hyun, policy committee chairman Kim Do-eup, deputy floor leader for budget Chu Kyung-ho, supreme council members Bae Hyun-jin and Cho Soo-jin, as well as aides to People Power Party lawmakers, were accessed.

In addition, the PCA is known to have accessed communication records of numerous journalists, members of the Korean Criminal Procedure Law Association, and civic groups. The People Power Party has defined this incident as 'illegal surveillance' and is demanding the resignation of PCA Chief Kim Jin-wook.

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