Kwon Seong-dong on 'Prosecutor Bias Personnel Controversy': "External Personnel Needed When FSC Fails to Function"

Criticism of New Financial Supervisory Service Chief Lee Bok-hyun's Appointment Dismissed
Priority Announcement of Standing Committee Whip for Policy Implementation
"Lee Myung-bak's Pardon Needed for National Unity"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Hyun-ji] Kwon Seong-dong, floor leader of the People Power Party, dismissed criticism of the new government’s “prosecutor-biased personnel appointments” on the 8th and reiterated the necessity of appointing former prosecutors.

After the National Security Review Council meeting held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, Kwon told reporters in response to questions about prosecutor-biased appointments, “As the president said, I believe the principle of placing the right person in the right position was followed and appointments were made based on ability.”

He added, “I believe the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) did not perform its functions properly during the Lime and Optimus scandals. Of course, there is a view that it is strange because the usual practice of appointing financial experts was not followed, but when the FSS fails to perform its inherent functions, it is necessary to bring in external personnel to inspect it.” He evaluated the appointment of Lee Bok-hyun, former chief prosecutor of the Seoul Northern District Prosecutors’ Office and a special prosecutor in economic cases under the Yoon Seok-yeol prosecution team, as the new head of the FSS as an appropriate appointment.

Regarding the organization of the National Assembly, he said, “We agreed to exchange opinions through a meeting of the senior deputy floor leaders at 11 a.m. today,” and “We plan to appoint and announce our party’s standing committee secretaries in the afternoon to prepare policies.” He also said, “We will prepare various policies centered on the secretaries and exchange opinions, criticize, and lead with the government until the National Assembly is organized.”

On the compromise proposal to reduce the authority of the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee raised by some members of the Democratic Party of Korea, he criticized, “It is ultimately consistent with the idea of not returning it,” and “The plan is to split the Judiciary Committee into the Legislation Committee and the Judiciary Committee, give the Judiciary Committee to us, and take the Legislation Committee, but that is equivalent to breaking the promise to return it.”

He also expressed his position on the pardon of former President Lee Myung-bak. Kwon said, “One person (Park Geun-hye) was released through a pardon, but leaving another person (Lee Myung-bak) as is is not fair, so from the perspective of national unity and enhancing the dignity of the Republic of Korea, I believe a pardon for former President Lee Myung-bak is necessary.”

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