Jeong Jeomsik: "Will Consider Filibuster if Special Counsel Bill on Fabricated Indictments Is Tabled"

Democratic Party of Korea plans to pass special counsel bill at plenary session as early as November 5
"An attempt to bury the president's and his aides' trials... We will use every means available"

People Power Party Floor Leader Jeong Jeomsik said on November 3 that if the Democratic Party of Korea puts the so-called “Special Counsel Bill on Fabricated Indictments” on the agenda of the plenary session, the party would consider every option, including filibusters on every bill brought before the session that day, in response to the Democratic Party’s adoption of the bill as its official party position and plan to pass it at a plenary session as early as November 5.

Meeting with reporters at the National Assembly that day, Jeong said, “Today, the Democratic Party adopted the Special Counsel Bill on Dropping Charges as its official position at a party caucus meeting. Its intention is clear: an attempt to bury the trials of the president and his aides.” He criticized the move, saying, “Ruling party lawmakers gathered and, at a party caucus meeting no less, buried the rule of law in the Republic of Korea.”

Asked about the Democratic Party’s plan to pass other contentious bills at the November 5 plenary session, including the Act on Persons of Distinguished Service to Democracy, the Urban Renewal Act, the Urban Renewal Promotion Act and the Yongsan Park Special Act, Jeong said, “We will gather opinions at a party caucus meeting and decide on measures to block them, including filibusters.”

People Power Party floor leader Jeong Jeom-sik delivers opening remarks at a meeting on parliamentary audit countermeasures held at the National Assembly on the 30th of last month. Photo by Yoon Dongju.

On the Democratic Party’s plan to adopt a resolution calling for the expulsion of People Power Party lawmaker Kim Tae-gyu, Jeong said, “Our opposition is clear. We will consider the overall situation before deciding whether to enter the plenary chamber and oppose it or stay out.”

Asked about Democratic Party leader Kim Min-seok’s remarks that day, which amounted to an apology over allegations he raised during the party’s previous leadership election about a “three-way alliance of anti-Lee Jae-myung forces, factionalists and Shincheonji,” Jeong said, “He arbitrarily brushed aside the allegations and moved on.” He added, “The Democratic Party is not an investigative agency, so how can it determine whether there was a secret alliance?”

He continued, “The police and the Major Crimes Investigation Agency should investigate the Democratic Party immediately.” He added, “Both parties faced the same allegations of illegal enrollment of Shincheonji members as party members. If the Democratic Party dismisses the allegations on its own while investigating the People Power Party, how could any member of the public trust the investigative agencies?”

“Today, the Democratic Party buried both the Shincheonji allegations and the president’s trial,” he said. “The Democratic Party is now an enemy of the rule of law. We will respond forcefully by every means available.”

Asked about the Democratic Party’s decision to gather further opinions on a parliamentary investigation into Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae, Jeong said, “It is testing public opinion.” He added, “I don’t think it has given up on the investigation. I suspect it will try to bring it up again at a plenary session after November 5.”

Regarding the ruling party’s unilateral passage that day in the National Assembly’s Steering Committee of a resolution to establish a “Special Committee on Super-Regional Special Zones,” Jeong said, “The intention was clear: they avoided the Trade, Industry, Energy, SMEs and Startups Committee, chaired by our party, went to the Political Affairs Committee instead, and then tried to establish a special committee as well. They had not held even a single prior consultation, so we had no choice but to protest and walk out.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.