Opposition's Internal Rebellion Special Investigation Drive 'One Mountain After Another'... The Key Is Speed

Democratic Party Considers Special Investigation Act on Sedition Advantageous for Constitutional Court Impeachment Ruling
People Power Party Urges Acting President Choi to Reject Democratic Party-Led Special Investigation Act

Opposition parties including the Democratic Party urged the government to promptly promulgate the second Special Investigation Act on Sedition, which has passed the National Assembly. They believe that if the prosecution indicts first while President Yoon Seok-yeol is detained, the momentum of the Special Investigation Act on Sedition could be lost. On the other hand, the ruling party requested the government to exercise its veto power again, as the second Special Investigation Act also passed the National Assembly led by the opposition.

Park Chan-dae, floor leader of the Democratic Party, demanded at the party's Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 20th, "Acting President Choi Sang-mok must immediately appoint Ma Eun-hyuk, the constitutional court justice candidate elected by the National Assembly as required by the Constitution, and immediately request the nomination of a permanent special prosecutor," adding, "Immediately accept and promulgate the (sedition) Special Investigation Act for investigating the unconstitutional and illegal emergency martial law sedition acts." This pressure came as political instability continued due to violent occupation incidents near the Seoul Western District Court by supporters of President Yoon in the early hours of the 19th, urging the government to speed up the impeachment investigation of President Yoon.

Democratic Party of Korea leader Lee Jae-myung is speaking at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the morning of the 20th. Photo by Yonhap News

The Democratic Party is particularly accelerating the acceptance of the Special Investigation Act on Sedition amid growing skepticism about the effectiveness of special prosecutors. If the prosecution indicts President Yoon before the special prosecutor, the special investigation cannot conduct duplicate investigations on the same charges against President Yoon. From the Democratic Party’s perspective, the Special Investigation Act on Sedition, which allows 125 personnel including prosecutors to investigate for up to 100 days, is considered more advantageous than prosecution investigations in securing the Constitutional Court’s acceptance of impeachment in the future.

The Democratic Party deleted the 'foreign exchange inducement charge' against President Yoon included in the second special investigation, but still analyzes that investigating core charges such as 'occupation of the National Assembly,' 'occupation of the Central Election Commission,' 'arrest and detention of politicians and others,' 'mobilization of weapons,' and 'cognitive incidents during the investigation process' is sufficient to obtain the Constitutional Court’s acceptance of impeachment.

The variable is if Acting President Choi delays the handling of the Special Investigation Act on Sedition. Acting President Choi must promulgate or exercise veto power within 15 days of receiving the law from the government. The deadline for handling is until the 2nd of next month. Even if Acting President Choi accepts the Special Investigation Act, if delayed until the 2nd of next month, it is highly likely that President Yoon and key figures related to the sedition charges will have already been indicted by the prosecution.

The People Power Party also repeatedly requested Acting President Choi to exercise veto power to oppose the Democratic Party-led Special Investigation Act on Sedition. Kwon Young-se, emergency committee chairman of the People Power Party, criticized the act on the day, saying, "It is a declaration to create an investigative agency for the Democratic Party," and added, "By granting unlimited investigative authority with just one line about related cognitive incidents, they intend to slaughter the opposing camp."

Pressure on Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party, regarding judicial risks was also intensified. The People Power Party claimed, "While the Democratic Party is rushing the impeachment and investigation of the president, Lee Jae-myung himself left early from his trial," and stated, "The whole nation knows Lee’s intention to cover up his crimes through an early presidential election."

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