Jung Jeom-sik Calls for Opposition Control of Judiciary Committee Chair

Jung Jeom-sik, the leader of the People Power Party, urged the government and ruling party on June 12 to shift their national policy direction and asserted that the chair of the Judiciary Committee should be returned to the opposition in the formation of the National Assembly's second half.

In his first press conference since taking office, Jung stated, "The composition of the National Assembly in the second half must fully reflect the public sentiment for checks and balances demonstrated in the June 3 local elections."

He called on the Lee Jae-myung government and the Democratic Party to respond to the public sentiment revealed in the local elections by shifting three key national policies: modifying economic policies related to real estate, taxes, and labor; normalizing judicial procedures; and restoring the National Assembly's functionality.

Jung emphasized that the principle of the People Power Party's negotiations for the second half of the National Assembly is to restore checks and balances, stating, "Above all, the normalization of the Judiciary Committee is urgent."

He added, "The Judiciary Committee must be returned to the opposition. Restoring the chair of the Judiciary Committee is essential to ending the legislative dictatorship centered around Jeong Cheong-rae and Choo Mi-ae and reviving a National Assembly of checks and balances. To lead the shift in economic and real estate policy direction, the opposition should take charge of related committees such as the Political Affairs Committee, the Finance and Economy Planning Committee, the Industry, Trade, Small and Medium Enterprises Committee, and the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee."

Regarding the formation of a special committee for the investigation into the 'ballot shortage crisis,' he proposed that the chair be held by the People Power Party, with half of the committee members from the Democratic Party and the other half from the opposition. He criticized the Democratic Party's stance, saying, "An investigation is an investigation, and a special prosecution is a special prosecution. They must proceed in a dual track. The Democratic Party's claim to conduct a special prosecution based on the results of the investigation is an act that obstructs the truth-finding process."

He also expressed concerns about Han Seung-sook, the nominee for Prime Minister, stating, "She is not just a multiple homeowner but a super multiple homeowner with three houses in Seoul, one in Gyeonggi Province, and a building worth 9.7 billion won. If we do not apply the strict standards we intend to impose on low-level public officials to the Prime Minister, public trust in this government's real estate policy will be completely lost."