Jang Dong-hyeok, leader of the People Power Party, speaks at a news conference at the National Assembly on May 5, criticizing the ruling bloc’s push for a special counsel bill on alleged fabricated investigations and prosecutions. [Photo=Yonhap]
Jang Dong-hyeok, leader of the People Power Party, said May 5 that President Lee Jae-myung was writing a “dictatorship guidebook” that would “go down in world history.”
Speaking at a news conference at the National Assembly, Jang said Lee had not only adopted “every method used by dictators around the world to take control of the judiciary,” but was now saying he would appoint a special counsel to erase alleged crimes.
Jang also criticized Lee’s comment that a special counsel bill should go through public consultation and deliberation, saying it amounted to trying to delay the timing of dropping indictments. “Just because the local elections pass does not make something unconstitutional constitutional,” he said.
A special counsel bill introduced by the Democratic Party on April 30 over allegations of fabricated investigations and prosecutions under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration includes a provision allowing the special counsel to withdraw indictments in related cases. The People Power Party and the minor Reform Party have opposed the bill, saying it infringes on judicial independence and threatens the separation of powers.
Jang said those involved would face heavier punishment later, adding that voting properly in the local elections was the way to stop what he called an “Lee Jae-myung bomb.”
With the June 3 local elections and National Assembly by-elections approaching, Jang also stepped up criticism of law enforcement decisions involving ruling-party figures. He cited a joint prosecution-police task force’s decision not to indict Democratic Party Busan mayoral candidate Jeon Jae-su over allegations of receiving money from the Unification Church; police’s decision not to forward a case involving Democratic Party South Chungcheong governor candidate Park Soo-hyun over allegations tied to the UN-Habitat Korea Committee; and prosecutors’ decision to clear suspects in the “money envelope” case involving the Democratic Party convention. “The police and prosecutors have become a pardon office for the Democratic Party,” he said.
Addressing claims that his party’s approval ratings are low, Jang said local elections depend more on regional support and trends than nationwide numbers, and said it was hard to accept conclusions based on a single phrase such as “low approval ratings.” Asked about issues including nominating former presidential chief of staff Chung Jin-suk in a by-election or forming an electoral alliance with other opposition parties, he said only that he would support his party’s candidates so they can win.
Speaking at a news conference at the National Assembly, Jang said Lee had not only adopted “every method used by dictators around the world to take control of the judiciary,” but was now saying he would appoint a special counsel to erase alleged crimes.
Jang also criticized Lee’s comment that a special counsel bill should go through public consultation and deliberation, saying it amounted to trying to delay the timing of dropping indictments. “Just because the local elections pass does not make something unconstitutional constitutional,” he said.
A special counsel bill introduced by the Democratic Party on April 30 over allegations of fabricated investigations and prosecutions under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration includes a provision allowing the special counsel to withdraw indictments in related cases. The People Power Party and the minor Reform Party have opposed the bill, saying it infringes on judicial independence and threatens the separation of powers.
Jang said those involved would face heavier punishment later, adding that voting properly in the local elections was the way to stop what he called an “Lee Jae-myung bomb.”
With the June 3 local elections and National Assembly by-elections approaching, Jang also stepped up criticism of law enforcement decisions involving ruling-party figures. He cited a joint prosecution-police task force’s decision not to indict Democratic Party Busan mayoral candidate Jeon Jae-su over allegations of receiving money from the Unification Church; police’s decision not to forward a case involving Democratic Party South Chungcheong governor candidate Park Soo-hyun over allegations tied to the UN-Habitat Korea Committee; and prosecutors’ decision to clear suspects in the “money envelope” case involving the Democratic Party convention. “The police and prosecutors have become a pardon office for the Democratic Party,” he said.
Addressing claims that his party’s approval ratings are low, Jang said local elections depend more on regional support and trends than nationwide numbers, and said it was hard to accept conclusions based on a single phrase such as “low approval ratings.” Asked about issues including nominating former presidential chief of staff Chung Jin-suk in a by-election or forming an electoral alliance with other opposition parties, he said only that he would support his party’s candidates so they can win.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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