Special Prosecutor for Fabricated Prosecution in Political Storm, with Dismissal of Lee's Indictments Emerging as Key Issue

[Financial News] As the Democratic Party of Korea has formally moved to push for a "Special Prosecutor Act for Fabricated Prosecution under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration," political turmoil is deepening. The opposition is vowing "total resistance," while even within the Democratic Party, cautious voices are emerging, saying criticism and President Lee's approval rating must be taken into account. In the end, whether the special prosecutor will be given the power to dismiss indictments is likely to become the final point of contention.
According to political circles on the 31st, the Democratic Party is reviewing whether to grant the special prosecutor the power to dismiss indictments. Democratic lawmakers on the Legislation and Judiciary Committee plan to coordinate with the party leadership and adjust the timing of the special prosecutor bill as well. The party gathered opinions on the issue during a workshop held on the 27th and 28th, but did not disclose the details.
The controversy over dismissing President Lee's indictments intensified after Democratic lawmaker Kim Seung-won, who had served as co-chair of the lawmakers' group "for dismissing President Lee's indictments and pushing a parliamentary investigation," was nominated as the next Minister of Justice. The People Power Party has continued to accuse him of leading efforts to eliminate President Lee's legal risks as justice minister. People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyuk criticized the nomination, saying, "He is the person leading the Special Prosecutor Act for Dismissal of Prosecutions and the removal of the breach of trust charge," and added, "Even if the public opposes it, he is going all in on canceling his own trial."
There is still no settled view within the Democratic Party on granting the power to dismiss indictments. With President Lee's approval rating hitting its lowest level since the government took office, some say the party should not give the opposition a pretext to attack. In particular, some in the ruling bloc believe the controversy over dismissing President Lee's indictments was a major factor behind the Democratic Party's failure to score a complete victory in the June 3 local elections. As a result, many argue that the party should be cautious not only about granting the power to dismiss indictments, but also about pushing ahead with the special prosecutor itself. In fact, voices from both the party leadership and members of the committee are calling for a slower pace, taking public sentiment into account.
The repeated emphasis on "livelihood" since the launch of the Kim Min-seok leadership is also not unrelated. At this point, some warn that the ruling party should focus its efforts on livelihood and economic issues such as housing supply and support for the three mega-projects, rather than wasting momentum by forcing through the special prosecutor. At the Democratic Party workshop, Kim also stressed that he would work to stabilize state affairs, chanting, "Livelihood, livelihood, livelihood."
As a cautious mood spreads across the Democratic Party, attention is turning to what the leadership will decide regarding the content and timing of the special prosecutor push. Possibilities being discussed include moving ahead with the special prosecutor while removing the power to dismiss indictments, or postponing the bill altogether. The Legislation and Judiciary Committee subcommittee is expected to begin reviewing the bill only after the leadership sets a direction.
[email protected] Lee Hae-ram Reporter