Oppsition pushs for impeachment hearing of Daejang-dong prosecutor

[Anchor]

The opposition parties, including the Democratic Party, have decided to summon the prosecutors who investigated the Daejang-dong and Baekhyeon-dong cases to the National Assembly's Legislative and Judiciary Committee to hold an impeachment hearing.

The ruling party has protested, calling it indiscriminate retaliatory impeachment.

Reporter Kim Jin-ho has the details.

[Report]

The opposition parties, including the Democratic Party, voted today (11.27) at the full meeting of the Legislative and Judiciary Committee to hold an impeachment hearing for two prosecutors, Kang Baek-sin and Um Hee-jun.

The hearing is scheduled for next month on the 11th.

The targets of the impeachment hearing are the prosecutors who investigated the 'Daejang-dong case' and the 'Baekhyeon-dong case,' in which Representative Lee Jae-Myung was involved, while working at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office.

[Kim Seung-won/Member of the National Assembly's Legislative and Judiciary Committee/Democratic Party: "Prosecutor Kang Baek-sin is known as a symbol of media suppression, and every investigation he conducts results in the public disclosure of facts about the accused... Prosecutor Um Hee-jun has been accused of coaching inmates to commit perjury with the intent to harm former Prime Minister Han Myung-sook..."]

The ruling party strongly opposed the impeachment hearing for the prosecutors, claiming it is retaliation against the investigation of Representative Lee and an obstruction of justice.

[Kwak Kyu-taek/Member of the National Assembly's Legislative and Judiciary Committee/People Power Party: "Cases, including the Daejang-dong case, are currently ongoing in court. To impeach the prosecutors who are investigating while the trial is ongoing raises a very high concern about interfering with the trial."]

Opposition lawmakers also passed a rule amendment that excludes the ruling party from recommending candidates for a special prosecutor.

Since the special prosecutor law has already been promulgated, it is not subject to the president's request for reconsideration.

A bill to abolish the 'automatic referral clause,' which automatically brings the government's budget proposal to the plenary session if the National Assembly fails to complete the budget review by the legal deadline, also passed the Legislative and Judiciary Committee under the leadership of the opposition.

These bills are expected to be presented at the plenary session tomorrow (11.28).

Along with this, the Democratic Party submitted a list for a National Assembly investigation special committee on the Marine Corps members' death case, which includes 10 members led by Representative Chung Dong-young, pressuring the ruling party to join.

KBS News, Kim Jin-ho.