'20 Cheong Wa Dae officials of the Moon administration would be sent to jail': lawmaker

Rep. Yang Hyang-ja of the Democratic Party of Korea delivers remarks on economy-related issues at a plenary meeting of the National Assembly on Seoul's Yeouido, on April 20, 2021. Korea Times file

Independent lawmaker's leaked statement opposes DPK's reform bill push

By Jung Da-min

An independent lawmaker, who had once been a member of the ruling liberal Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), explained the reason behind the DPK's push for a prosecutorial reform bill that aims to separate the prosecution's powers to lead investigations and indict suspects, despite opposition from the main opposition People Power Party and prosecutors.

“A hardcore DPK member encouraged me to vote for their reform bill. There was another person who said that 'some 20 Cheong Wa Dae officials of the Moon administration would be sent to jail,'” Rep. Yang Hyang-ja said in an interview with Korean daily Chosun Ilbo published Thursday.

Earlier, Yang, a member of the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee, made it clear in a social media post that she is against the DPK's prosecutorial reform bill.

“I decided to oppose the party's reform bill in order to follow my conscience, which may cost me my political career,” she said, adding that the DPK leadership tried to persuade her to help pass the prosecutorial reform bill at the committee.

The independent lawmaker's opposition to the reform bill puts the DPK in a difficult position.

When parties disagree on certain bills, the committee is supposed to form a task-force subcommittee consisting of six members from the ruling and main opposition parties as well as independent lawmakers. Three of them should come from the ruling party, two from the main opposition party and one should be an independent lawmaker. The subcommittee can deliberate on bills in question for up to 90 days so as to reach an agreement and table it at the Legislation and Judiciary Committee. If two-thirds of the members of the subcommittee agree, the bill can be sent immediately to a standing committee for review.

The DPK aims to pass the bill by late April so that President Moon Jae-in can sign it into law on May 3 at his last Cabinet meeting.

The ruling party initially encouraged Yang, who was previously a DPK member, to side with them in the bill, which she rejected. The DPK then encouraged another DPK member, Rep. Min Hyung-bae, to leave the party and become an independent to make their plan work. Min did exactly that and as an independent lawmaker, the DPK was able to meet the two-thirds majority condition to table the bill with the standing committee.

Yang said that DPK floor leader Rep. Park Hong-keun told her that there were two reasons behind the DPK's push of the prosecutorial reform bill.

“He said one reason is that the DPK should not lose its supporters (which it would if it were to fail to implement its prosecutorial reform plans), and the other reason is that it (prosecutorial reform) might not happen if the bill isn't passed this time,” she said.

Yang added that there was nobody within the ruling party questioning why the reform bill had to be passed before President Moon leaves office.

She also said she was astonished by the idea of making a lawmaker leave the party. Her remarks implied that Min, who left the party to implement the DPK's prosecutorial reform, has been determined to pass the reform bill since joining the judiciary committee.

Yang said she was told she would be able to regain her membership in the DPK, but the situation has changed and the future of her political career has become uncertain.