Democratic Party's Strongest Response to Prosecutors' Search and Seizure... 'Why Such a Big Backlash?'

We Must Resist Political Retaliation Investigations Targeting Moon Jae-in and Lee Jae-myung
Ineffective Prosecutor Raids Are Just Embarrassing the Opposition Party
Raid on the Main Opposition Party Headquarters During the National Assembly Audit Period Is "Oppression of the Opposition"

At the emergency Democratic Party of Korea members' meeting held at the National Assembly on the 20th, Representative Lee Jae-myung, Floor Leader Park Hong-geun, and other members protested against the prosecution's attempt to search the Democratic Party headquarters by holding picket signs. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] The Democratic Party of Korea declared an "all-out war" in response to the prosecution's attempt to enter the central party office for a search and seizure related to Kim Yong, Deputy Director of the Democratic Research Institute.

On the 19th, the Democratic Party made an all-out effort by suspending the National Assembly audit, gathering its members, and resisting until late at night during the prosecution's search and seizure. On the 20th, they decided to return to the audit through a party members' meeting. At the time of the search and seizure, not only the party members but also party officials and aides issued statements opposing the action.

Why is the Democratic Party so enraged by this prosecution search and seizure?

① We must stand against political retaliation

Primarily, the Democratic Party views the prosecution's search and seizure, as well as the Board of Audit and Inspection's announcement of the interim audit results on the West Sea civil servant killing incident, as a series of moves amounting to a form of "political retaliation."

At the party members' meeting held at the National Assembly that day, Democratic Party members read a "Statement Condemning Political Oppression by the Yoon Seok-yeol Administration." In the statement, they said, "The Democratic Party has endured the ruling party's disruption and agitation of the audit to hide the president's incompetence and lies, thinking of the suffering economy and the people in distress, to 'normalize the audit.'" They added, "Nevertheless, the administration mobilized all power agencies available, including the police, Board of Audit and Inspection, and prosecution, to launch all-out retaliatory investigations to disrupt the audit."

The Democratic Party said, "The administration's dark intentions to somehow pin former President Moon Jae-in down are fully revealed, sealing off the truth of the West Sea incident filled with lies and the heinous criminal repatriation case." They stated, "The administration's intention is nothing other than to entangle former President Moon Jae-in in every case." They continued, "The Democratic Party has endured the ruling party's disruption and agitation of the audit to hide the president's incompetence and lies, thinking of the suffering economy and the people in distress, to 'normalize the audit.' Nevertheless, the administration mobilized all power agencies available, including the police, Board of Audit and Inspection, and prosecution, to launch all-out retaliatory investigations to disrupt the audit."

The Democratic Party criticized, "The administration mobilized all power agencies available, including the police, Board of Audit and Inspection, and prosecution, to launch all-out retaliatory investigations to disrupt the audit," and added, "On the 18th, arrest warrants were requested for former Minister of National Defense Seo Wook and other senior officials of the previous government; on the 19th, former Chief of Staff Noh Young-min was summoned for investigation; and just a day before the Supreme Prosecutors' Office audit, they suddenly attempted to search and seize the Democratic Party headquarters." They pointed out, "Now, the only remaining targets are former President Moon Jae-in and Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung, the eyesores of President Yoon Seok-yeol."

They claimed, "The administration's dark intentions to somehow pin former President Moon Jae-in down are fully revealed, sealing off the truth of the West Sea incident filled with lies and the heinous criminal repatriation case." They insisted, "The administration's intention is nothing other than to entangle former President Moon Jae-in in every case."

Regarding Lee Jae-myung, they stated, "From the start of the September National Assembly session, Lee Jae-myung was indicted without detention; just before the audit, related persons of Seongnam FC were indicted; and finally, the attempt to search and seize the Democratic Party headquarters. It is clear that the intention is to recover the plummeting approval ratings and to cut off the political life of Lee Jae-myung, the only political rival of President Yoon Seok-yeol."

For the opposition party, given the confirmed sharpness of the investigative agencies' blades, there is a desperate sense of crisis that if they do not respond properly, they could fall into a serious crisis.

② Ineffective prosecution search and seizure is a humiliation for the opposition party

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Moreover, regarding the attempt to search and seize the Democratic Research Institute, the Democratic Party views the prosecution's actions as a kind of humiliating "show" against the party. Park Chan-dae, a Supreme Council member of the Democratic Party, appeared on a radio show and explained, "Deputy Director Kim was appointed on the 11th of this month, and since then, there have been about three meetings, each lasting an hour." He added, "The Democratic Research Institute uses an office shared within the party headquarters, and there is virtually no possibility of materials related to presidential election fund bribery or such."

In other words, it is not a place where materials related to criminal charges that warrant a search and seizure against the main opposition party can be found.

For this reason, the Democratic Party proposed voluntary submission, but the prosecution did not accept it.

Park Hong-geun, the floor leader of the Democratic Party, criticized at the Supreme Council meeting held that day, "(The prosecution) knew that the search and seizure would be ineffective but had a political purpose to divert the public's attention to the Democratic Party headquarters and corner them."

③ This happening during the audit period... "It's the opposition party's further degradation and a violation of the National Assembly"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

There is also anger detected over such events occurring during the audit period.

Democratic Party lawmakers, including Ki Dong-min, the Democratic Party's ranking member of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, which oversees the prosecution, held a press conference demanding the suspension of the search and seizure and an apology from President Yoon Seok-yeol. They condemned, "The prosecution, a single audited agency during the National Assembly audit, attempted to search and seize the opposition party headquarters for the first time in history since democratization, just a day before the audit," calling it "a complete violation of political parties and an obstruction of democracy that cannot be tolerated."

Democratic Party lawmaker Seol Hoon also expressed discomfort in a radio interview, saying, "Isn't the prosecution and the Democratic Party fighting something like a war?" and "In such a situation, allowing free access to the Democratic Party headquarters is hard for us to accept."

Within the Democratic Party, complaints arose about the Board of Audit and Inspection releasing interim audit results on the West Sea civil servant killing incident and the process of requesting arrest warrants for ministers during the Moon Jae-in administration while the audit was in full swing, even before the search and seizure. Democratic Party lawmaker Cho Eung-cheon criticized in a radio interview on the 19th, "As an opposition party member of the Judiciary Committee, it feels like they are saying, 'Let's try this once.'"

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