Ruling and Opposition Clash Over 'Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor Act'... Spouse Risk Resurfaces

Democratic Party Unites on 'Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor Law'
Ruling Party's Kwon Seong-dong Calls It a "Diversion Special Prosecutor"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jun-yi] The leadership of the Democratic Party of Korea, led by Lee Jae-myung, is taking a direct approach to address investigation risks immediately after its launch. The ruling and opposition parties are clashing over the push for a special prosecutor law concerning Kim Geon-hee.

Kwon Seong-dong, floor leader of the People Power Party, criticized at the floor strategy meeting on the 30th, saying, "The intention is to reuse the special prosecutor issue to shake the new government," and added, "When a couple is under investigation by the prosecution and police, the proper path is to sincerely cooperate with the investigation, not to divert attention with a special prosecutor." He also stated, "The Democratic Party should stop the political offensive."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The day before, the Democratic Party's Supreme Council members unanimously advocated for the Kim Geon-hee special prosecutor law at their first Supreme Council meeting. Kim Yong-min, a member of the 'Cheoreomhoe,' a faction of hardline lawmakers within the party, had introduced the "Act on the Appointment of a Special Prosecutor for the Truth Investigation of Stock Price Manipulation and False Career Incidents Related to President Yoon Seok-yeol's Spouse Kim Geon-hee" as the main proposer on the 22nd.

Supreme Council member Park Chan-dae emphasized, "New suspicions related to Mrs. Kim continue to emerge," and said, "If the prosecution and police continue to conduct lenient investigations, the Democratic Party will pursue a special prosecutor in accordance with the will of the people." Supreme Council member Seo Young-kyo also stated, "Mrs. Kim, who manipulated stock prices worth tens of billions, should be subject to at least 1,290 search and seizures and have the news promptly released to the media," and added, "We will work with the public to ensure a thorough national investigation into the preferential remodeling of the presidential office and involvement in vested interests."

On the same day, Deputy Floor Leader Yang Kyung-sook said, "The ruling party is being torn apart by internal power struggles, and trust in the government is plummeting due to the Kim Geon-hee risk," emphasizing, "Without bipartisan cooperation, it will be difficult to overcome the current situation."

However, there are also opinions that judicial responses such as special prosecutors are not the only solution. Lee Kwang-jae, Secretary General of the Manifesto Practice Headquarters, criticized, "Raising issues about Mrs. Kim is good, but both ruling and opposition parties are dragging everything into judicial matters," and said, "When all politics turns into judicial matters, it is an act of politics denying its own existence." Floor leader Park Hong-geun also argued, "The prosecution and police should promptly and properly investigate; please understand this as a call for the ruling party to accept a national investigation," insisting that the results of the national investigation should be seen first.

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