Jo Jeong-hoon Becomes a Key Figure in Each Special Prosecutor Investigation Following Kim Gun-hee and Daejang-dong...

Casting Vote Holder Jo Jeonghun: "Daejangdong Special Prosecutor Differs from Kim Gunhee Special Prosecutor"
Astounding Illicit Gains by Entrenched Interests
Focus on the Case Itself, Not Targeting Specific Individuals
"Haven't Even Seen the Special Prosecutor Bill Yet... Democratic Party Hasn't Called Once"

Jung Joon-choon, Candidate for Seoul Mayor from the Transition Era Party. / Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

"Daejang-dong Special Prosecutor, what truly is the path for the nation and its people?"

Last September, Jo Jeong-hoon, a member of the Transition Korea party who publicly opposed the 'Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor Act' pushed by the Democratic Party of Korea, is now deliberating over the 'Daejang-dong Special Prosecutor Act.' For the special prosecutor bill to pass, it must go through the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee (LJC), and among the 18 members of the LJC, Jo is the only lawmaker from a minor party, holding the 'casting vote.'

Passing the bill through normal procedures is difficult, especially since Kim Do-eup of the People Power Party chairs the LJC, making it hard to approve the bill according to the Democratic Party's wishes.

Ultimately, whether it is the Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor Act or the Daejang-dong Special Prosecutor Act, to expedite the passage of the special prosecutor bill, the LJC, as the relevant standing committee, must designate it as a fast-track (speedy processing agenda). This requires the consent of at least 11 out of the 18 LJC members, which is three-fifths of the committee.

Currently, the LJC consists of 10 members from the Democratic Party, 7 from the People Power Party, and 1 from Transition Korea. This is why the Democratic Party urgently needs Jo’s agreement.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Previously, Jo expressed opposition to the Democratic Party’s plan to bring the Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor Act to the Chuseok holiday table, saying, "It is shameful and petty to target another woman’s husband as a political attack coordinate." He argued that the plagiarism allegations against Mrs. Kim did not occur during the president’s term, and that pushing for a special prosecutor would consume all attention from vital livelihood issues.

However, his stance toward the Daejang-dong Special Prosecutor Act has changed. Unlike his opposition to the Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor Act, which he said "annoyed the public ahead of Chuseok," he now indicated careful consideration, stating, "The Daejang-dong special prosecutor is on a completely different level from the Kim Geon-hee special prosecutor."

On the 25th, Jo appeared on KBS Radio’s 'Choi Kyung-young’s Strong Current Affairs' and pointed out, "In this case, there were astronomical illegal profits amounting to trillions or at least hundreds of billions of won exchanged, profits that ordinary citizens cannot even imagine."

He added, "The last presidential election could be called the 'Daejang-dong election' because nothing else is remembered except Daejang-dong. As a member of the entire nation, I believe we must uncover what happened, who gained illegal profits, and that our society must reclaim those illegal gains." He continued, "The truth must be revealed, but my concern is whether the special prosecutor system is the most efficient at this point in time." He explained, "The special prosecutor system is very sharp and powerful but also has considerable side effects." He also said, "I am listening to citizens and political elders from various camps," indicating he is contemplating whether to support the special prosecutor bill.

Jo expressed regret that although the Democratic Party has been loudly pushing for the Daejang-dong Special Prosecutor Act, they have not even explained the bill to him, who holds the casting vote.

Jo said, "I haven’t even seen the special prosecutor bill yet, so I don’t know whether I will support it or not," adding, "I haven’t even received a single phone call from them."

When asked by the host, "If the Democratic Party calls to discuss the bill, would you be willing to review it together?" he replied, "It might help me in my deliberation," leaving open the possibility of supporting the bill’s passage.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Party plans to propose the special prosecutor bill as early as this week.

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