New investigative body losing original purpose

Members of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) stage a protest against the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) in front of the plenary chamber of the National Assembly in Seoul, Wednesday, as the DPK lawmakers were set to push ahead with a revision to relevant laws on the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials by removing a right given to the PPP in the process to select the head of the new investigative body. Yonhap

By Jung Da-min

A new agency tasked with investigating high-profile corruption cases seems to be losing its original purpose, with the ruling bloc trying to strip the main opposition party of the power to influence the process of launching the organization.

The ruling camp's planned revision of a relevant law is likely to open the path for the President to appoint a person close to the government to be chief of the investigative body, which would undermine the original goal of the agency to remain politically neutral and keep the powerful elite in check.

The launch of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials (CIO) has been delayed since the initially planned date in mid-July. A committee to nominate candidates for the chief post of the new organization was formed in late October but it failed to decide on two finalists as of late November. The committee is comprised of the justice minister, the head of the National Court Administration, the head of the Korean Bar Association, and four experts, two each recommended by the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and the main opposition People Power Party (PPP).

According to the relevant law, at least six out of the seven committee members should agree on the selection of the final two candidates ― a measure which the DPK presented to guarantee the opposition bloc's right to veto candidates recommended by the ruling bloc, as the PPP has claimed the CIO could be under the DPK's influence.

But as the two experts from the PPP side kept rejecting candidates recommended by the other five members, the DPK moved to revise the law to reduce the quorum to nominate the CIO chief from the current six to five of the seven committee members, saying the opposition party would continue abusing its veto right in order to obstruct the launch of the organization.

DPK members of the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee unilaterally passed the revision, Tuesday, and planned to pass it at a plenary meeting, Wednesday, the last day of this year's regular Assembly session. But the PPP lawmakers staged a filibuster to stop the passage.

This year's final legislative session is held in the plenary chamber of the National Assembly in Seoul, Wednesday. The ruling Democratic Party of Korea and the main opposition People Power Party clashed over a law drawn up to launch a special investigative body to look into high-profile corruption cases. Yonhap.

The DPK, however, is planning to convene an extra Assembly session on Thursday to pass the law with its supermajority of 174 seats in the Assembly. The PPP, which has 103 seats, has no other means to stop the revision.

PPP floor leader Rep. Joo Ho-young said, Wednesday, the CIO head will end up being a pro-Moon Jae-in government figure if the revision is made.

“The ruling bloc is abusing its power to nominate someone as the chief of the CIO who will follow the ruling bloc's orders and carry out unfair investigations into sensitive cases in which ruling bloc figures are embroiled,” he said in a radio interview.

Joo said he asked for a meeting with President Moon over the issue. “I need to meet him and ask what he is thinking in carrying out state affairs, how he plans to lead the country, and if he instructed the DPK and Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae to behave so unacceptably,” he told reporters after a party meeting.

The two experts from the PPP side in the nomination committee also said they will step down from their posts on the committee or take legal action if the DPK pushes ahead with the law revision.