DP lawmakers launch group to pressure prosecutors into dropping Lee's charges
Ruling party lawmakers gathered Monday to form a group pushing for the dismissal of charges against President Lee Jae Myung.
A total of 105 Democratic Party of Korea lawmakers joined the group, with roughly 60 attending its launch ceremony at the National Assembly. It is the largest group of lawmakers not just within the party, but also in the National Assembly as a whole, with its size nearly matching the 107 seats held by the main opposition People Power Party.
They claim that prosecutors fabricated 12 charges against Lee and indicted him in five separate trials. All of his trials were suspended upon the start of his presidential term.
They also plan to push for a parliamentary investigation into the prosecution over what they allege to be fabricated charges.
By wielding the collective power of ruling party lawmakers, they aim to compel the prosecution to withdraw the indictments, effectively wiping out all legal proceedings against Lee.
This represents a blatant dismantling of the rule of law -- hardly imaginable in any functioning democracy.
If the group’s claim that the charges were fabricated under the previous Yoon Suk Yeol administration is true, the appropriate way to prove it is through the judicial process — not by pressuring prosecutors to drop the case.
If flaws are found in the investigations, they should be addressed through a parliamentary probe and institutional reforms.
A party that has long condemned the prosecution for abusing its authority is now pressuring prosecutors to drop specific charges. This move appears contradictory.
The Democratic Party has effectively become a political force that holds power over both the executive and legislative branches. To wield such power to collectively press for dropping charges in a specific criminal case is hardly consistent with a party that professes democracy as its highest value.
In the eyes of the public, their actions amount to an attempt to use legislative power to remove the president's judicial responsibility, as well as a competition to prove excessive loyalty to him. It is a shameful and embarrassing spectacle.
On the same day, the Democratic Party appointed Kim Nam-kuk, a former presidential secretary for digital communication, as its new spokesperson.
The appointment came roughly two months after he was effectively removed from his post for putting Cheong Wa Dae in an awkward position with his reply to a hiring request from Democratic Party lawmaker Rep. Moon Jin-seog.
Kim said he would recommend the individual cited by Moon to presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik and Kim Hyun-ji, a longtime aide to Lee. The lawmaker was later caught on camera reading the message.
Kim faced strong criticism for allegedly trying to bypass formal vetting procedures and handle the appointment through personal ties with powerful aides in the presidential office, and ultimately tendered his resignation.
A party spokesperson is tasked with presenting the party’s positions to the public. Installing in that role someone who was effectively removed from public office for misconduct reflects little consideration for the public.
In 2023, Kim Nam-kuk was also caught on camera trading cryptocurrency on his mobile phone during a National Assembly standing committee session, triggering public outrage. As controversy over his virtual asset dealings intensified, he eventually left the Democratic Party and became an independent lawmaker.
Kim’s survival of such scandals likely stems from his close ties to Lee. He reportedly belonged to the “Group of Seven” who had maintained a long-standing relationship with Lee even before he became president.
His appointment as party spokesperson highlights a party that appears unchecked in the absence of any serious political rival. It is regrettable that the ruling party now seems to feel little need to heed public sentiment.
khnews@heraldcorp.com
