People Power Party Protests at Speaker's Office over Special Prosecutor's Raid: "Illegal Investigation Must Stop"

Song Eonseok Demands Immediate Halt to "Illegal Search and Seizure"
Heated Protest at National Assembly as Special Prosecutor Raids Party Offices
Speaker Woo Wonshik Urges Voluntary Submission for Searches Within Assembly Grounds

On September 2, Song Eonseok, floor leader of the People Power Party, demanded an immediate halt to what he called "illegal searches and seizures" after the special investigation team on insurrection raided the home and office of former floor leader Chu Kyungho.

At a party countermeasures meeting held at the National Assembly that day, Song stated, "The special prosecutor has been investigating as if dusting for every speck, but apparently hasn't found any dust yet," and added, "I seriously question whether it is acceptable to conduct such indiscriminate searches and seizures with unchecked authority."

Yonhap News Agency

The special investigation team on insurrection and treason related to the December 3 Martial Law incident conducted searches and seizures at the home and local office of former floor leader Chu Kyungho, who is suspected of interfering with the National Assembly's vote on the resolution demanding the lifting of martial law. Searches are also underway at the People Power Party's floor leader's office and Assemblywoman Cho Jiyeon's office within the National Assembly.

Song criticized, "They even raided the home of a party secretariat staff member who was assisting former floor leader Chu at the time," and added, "They barged into the staff member's home without giving time to wait for legal counsel, pushing ahead with an illegal search and seizure."

After the countermeasures meeting, Song, accompanied by Yoo Sangbeom, chief deputy floor leader for operations, and Kim Eunhye, chief deputy floor leader for policy, visited the Speaker's office to protest. During this process, there were heated exchanges between opposition lawmakers and staff from the Speaker's office.

Song met with National Assembly Speaker Woo Wonshik and requested that searches and seizures of offices within the National Assembly grounds be prohibited unless permitted by the Speaker, who is the overall manager and responsible authority. Speaker Woo also stated that it would be preferable to handle any searches within the main building or office complex of the National Assembly through voluntary submission in consultation with the parties involved.

An official from the Speaker's office said, "The Speaker fundamentally cannot block the special prosecutor's investigation regarding the search and seizure of former floor leader Chu," but clarified, "However, the basic position of the National Assembly is that any search and seizure within the main building or the lawmakers' office complex should be conducted in the form of voluntary submission through consultation between the special prosecutor and the parties concerned."

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