People Power Party Appoints Kim Yonggwan, Cha Jina, and Choi Changho as National Recommendation Committee Members for Election Commission Special Prosecutor

Sungsoo Kim: "A Suitable Choice for an Independent and Fair Special Prosecutor Recommendation"

The People Power Party has selected Kim Yonggwan, attorney at Baeksong Law Firm; Cha Jina, professor at Korea University Law School; and Choi Changho, attorney at Jeongron Law Firm, as members of the National Recommendation Committee tasked with recommending candidates for a special prosecutor to investigate allegations of violations of civil suffrage.

Seungsoo Kim, Chief Deputy Floor Leader of the People Power Party, is announcing the three recommended members from the opposition party for the National Recommendation Committee, which is being formed to select special inspectors for the National Election Commission, at the National Assembly on the 5th. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Seungsoo Kim, Chief Deputy Floor Leader of the People Power Party, met with reporters at the National Assembly on the afternoon of the 5th and said, "Today, we received an official letter from the Speaker of the National Assembly requesting recommendations for members of the National Recommendation Committee," adding, "The People Power Party is recommending Attorney Kim Yonggwan, Professor Cha Jina, and Attorney Choi Changho."

Kim further explained, "As stipulated in Article 4, Paragraph 4 of the Special Prosecutor’s Act, we have invited individuals who are respected for their knowledge and virtue, and who possess rich experience in various professional fields to serve on the committee. The three are experts with a track record as judges, showing fair judgment; experience as prosecutors, demonstrating investigative expertise; and academic insight as a constitutional law scholar. This is the most suitable combination for an independent and fair special prosecutor nomination that the public can trust."

Attorney Kim Yonggwan is a legal expert who served as a presiding judge at the Seoul Central District Court and has over 20 years of experience as a judge. Professor Cha Jina is a constitutional law expert, and according to Kim, will play an important role in ensuring that a candidate with a deep understanding of constitutional values and national responsibilities is selected as special prosecutor. Attorney Choi Changho, a former prosecutor, has worked as a lawyer for more than 20 years, building up diverse career experience in criminal, administrative, and public law fields.

Kim said, "I expect that these three will recommend a candidate for special prosecutor to the public who can guarantee neutrality, fairness, and objectivity." He added, "We hope to quickly collaborate with the Democratic Party to select an appropriate, fair, and objective special prosecutor with expertise and competence in investigations, so that the public’s suspicions regarding the National Election Commission can be resolved as soon as possible."

The National Recommendation Committee will be composed of six members, with three members each recommended by the Democratic Party and the People Power Party. Moving forward, three candidates for special prosecutor will be recommended by the Korean Bar Association and the Korean Association of Law Schools, and then two of those candidates will be mutually agreed upon by the ruling and opposition parties and recommended to the President. Subsequently, the President will appoint one of the two recommended candidates as the special prosecutor.

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