Hong Ik-pyo: "Kim Gun-hee Special Prosecutor Law Will Unconditionally Receive 175-180 Votes"

Confidence in Passing the 'Kim Gun-hee Special Prosecutor Law'
"If Vetoed, We Will Gather 200 Seats to Reconsider"

Hong Ik-pyo, the floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, expressed confidence that the 'Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor Act,' scheduled to be submitted to the National Assembly plenary session on the 28th, will pass, stating, "There will definitely be 175 to 180 votes in favor."

On the 22nd, Hong appeared on JTBC's 'Genre Only Yeouido' and said, "Once it is submitted to the plenary session and voted on, it only requires a majority of those present to vote in favor," adding, "Our party has 167 seats, and the Justice Party is also in favor."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

In response to the host's question about whether "the president might exercise the right to request reconsideration (veto)," he replied, "I doubt he would do that," and added, "The president has emphasized fairness and common sense so far, but if he vetoes, it would be neither fair nor reasonable."

He also emphasized that past presidents have accepted special prosecutors investigating their 'invulnerable spots.' He said, "Past presidents also had invulnerable spots they did not want to touch," and continued, "Former Presidents Kim Dae-jung and Kim Young-sam accepted special prosecutors regarding issues involving their sons. Former President Lee Myung-bak also accepted a special prosecutor related to his own matters."

If the president exercises the veto right on a bill passed by the National Assembly, the bill must go through a reconsideration process in the Assembly. If two-thirds (200 seats) of the total members vote in favor, the bill is promulgated without the president's approval. Previously, the Grain Management Act, Nursing Act, Yellow Envelope Act, and Broadcasting Three Acts, on which President Yoon Seok-yeol exercised vetoes, were rejected during the National Assembly's reconsideration process and thus discarded.

Hong said, "If President Yoon vetoes the special prosecutor bill, the efforts made over the past year will just fizzle out," adding, "We need to try to secure 200 seats. Once secured, we will proceed with the reconsideration process."

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