The Opposition's Full-Scale Offensive on the 'Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor Act': Countering Lee's Judicial Risks Through Public Opinion Warfare

Low Possibility of Passing Lawmakers' Committee to Plenary Session
May Fail if President Vetoes
Strategy to Hit Government Through Public Opinion Battle

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jun-yi] The Democratic Party, cornered by the prosecution and police investigations targeting Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, has put forward a party resolution to push for a special prosecutor law concerning First Lady Kim Keon-hee. However, there are criticisms that this is merely a public opinion battle with low chances of realization.

On the 7th, the Democratic Party officially proposed the "Act on the Appointment of a Special Prosecutor for the Investigation of Stock Price Manipulation, False Career Records, and Bribery-like Sponsorship Cases Involving President Yoon Seok-yeol’s Spouse Kim Keon-hee" as a party resolution. All 169 Democratic Party lawmakers, including Leader Lee and Floor Leader Park Hong-geun, signed the bill.

Leader Lee also expressed strong determination to push for the Kim Keon-hee special prosecutor law during a closed supreme council meeting, reportedly stating, "If a special prosecutor is needed for the suspicions related to me along with the Kim Keon-hee special prosecutor law, I am willing to accept it without hesitation."

The Democratic Party plans to prioritize investigations into the allegations of false career records and stock price manipulation among various suspicions related to the First Lady. The leadership has repeatedly emphasized the necessity of passing the special prosecutor law in official settings since the bill’s proposal.

However, the likelihood of the special prosecutor law being realized at this point is low. The first hurdle is the Judiciary Committee, which has jurisdiction over the bill. Kim Do-eup, chairman of the Judiciary Committee from the People Power Party, may delay the bill’s processing or refuse to even put it on the agenda.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

In this case, the Democratic Party could attempt to designate the bill as a fast-track (rapid processing agenda). The requirement for fast-track designation is approval by at least three-fifths of the committee members, meaning 11 out of 18 members must agree. Currently, the Democratic Party has 10 members on the committee, so cooperation from Jo Jung-hoon, a member of the Transition Korea Party with opposition-leaning tendencies, is necessary.

However, Jo has recently expressed opposition to the special prosecutor law several times. On the 15th, he stated on KBS Radio, "(The Democratic Party) pushing for a special prosecutor while ignoring procedures is a very reckless move."

Even if the special prosecutor law passes the National Assembly, there is a considerable possibility that President Yoon Seok-yeol will exercise his veto power. If the bill returns to the National Assembly due to the president’s veto, a re-vote requires a quorum of more than half the members and a two-thirds majority approval.

Within the party, there are also explanations that a parliamentary audit targeting the presidential office may gain more momentum than the special prosecutor law. A floor official said, "A parliamentary audit can be initiated if the Speaker of the National Assembly approves it, so it can be implemented faster than the special prosecutor law. However, the ruling party will not easily oppose the special prosecutor law in the Judiciary Committee. If the government and ruling party refuse to accept the special prosecutor, a backlash will follow."

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