Democratic Party Opposes 'Special Inspector' Proposed by Han Dong-hoon

by Lee Dongwoo

Published 24 Oct.2024 11:11(KST)

The Democratic Party of Korea has effectively opposed the appointment of a 'Special Inspector' promoted by Han Dong-hoon, the leader of the People Power Party. On the surface, the Democratic Party pointed out the structural limitations of the Special Inspector. Their position is that investigations conducted while the Presidential Office retains authority over the final appointment and term of the inspector cannot fully resolve the issues.

The Democratic Party also cited the inherent limitations of the system. The Special Inspector does not have compulsory investigative authority. Its main function is to exercise checks through requests for cooperation and support. The scope of investigation is also limited. Although the investigation targets are defined as the president's relatives and close aides, in the case of aides, the target is limited to those at the senior secretary level or above. Since investigations are currently conducted on positions such as senior administrative officers and secretaries in the Presidential Office, there is an ambiguous aspect. There are physical limitations in directly investigating the so-called 'Hannam-dong line' and the subjects of the '7 traitors' controversy.

The content of investigations can also vary greatly depending on the appointee. The Special Inspector is appointed after the National Assembly recommends three candidates, the president nominates one, and following a confirmation hearing, the president makes the final appointment. It is highly unlikely that an individual independent of the government and ruling party's interests will be appointed. The Democratic Party firmly stated in response to Han's proposal for a Special Inspector the previous day that "because it is limited, it is not suitable for investigating existing incidents." A senior Democratic Party lawmaker questioned, "With the increasing possibility of the re-vote on the Kim Geon-hee special prosecutor passing at the next plenary session, is there any reason to accept the Special Inspector proposed by the ruling party?"

Handonghun, leader of the People Power Party, and Jaemyung Lee, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, are greeting each other at the Central Forum held on the 23rd at the Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul. Photo by National Assembly Press Photographers Group

Some analysts diagnose that the Democratic Party and Leader Han have entered a tug-of-war over the 'timing' rather than the 'method' of clarifying the allegations against Mrs. Kim. This indicates that the competition for political leadership between Lee Jae-myung, whose first trial verdict on judicial risks is scheduled for next month, and Han, who is seeking an exit strategy to restore his party, has intensified. Political commentator Park Sang-byeong said, "Leader Han does not hide his intention to proactively address the Mrs. Kim risk through the Special Inspector and then maximize the issue of the first trial verdict next month on Leader Lee's charges of perjury and violation of the Public Official Election Act." Conversely, the opposition party intends to conclude Leader Lee's judicial risks and maximize the Kim Geon-hee allegations issue by the end of this year to lead an impeachment political situation.

From the Democratic Party's perspective, they must also prepare for possible backlash. If discussions fail amid differing views between Leader Han and People Power Party floor leader Choo Kyung-ho regarding the Special Inspector, the blame could be directed toward the Democratic Party.