Choi urges parties to cooperate

[Anchor]

Acting President Choi Sang-mok met directly with leaders of both the ruling and opposition parties today (1.13) and repeatedly requested that they work together to create a special investigation law without unconstitutional elements.

Acting President Choi also instructed both the police and the Presidential National Service to sufficiently coordinate and ensure safety during the execution of the arrest warrant for President Yoon Suk Yeol to avoid any clashes.

Reporter Lee Hyun-jun has the details.

[Report]

Acting President Choi Sang-mok maintained a stern expression throughout the meeting.

He urged both parties to activate the consultative body of the ruling and opposition parties as well as the government, and process livelihood-related bills, while repeatedly requesting an agreement on the special investigation bill.

[Choi Sang-mok/Acting President: "I ask that both parties work together to prepare a special investigation bill that does not have unconstitutional elements…."]

With the re-execution of the arrest warrant for President Yoon likely to happen this week, he emphasized once again that there should be no physical clashes between the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials and the Presidential Security Sevice.

However, both the ruling and opposition parties remain staedfast in their positions.

Kwon Young-se, the emergency response committee chairman of the ruling People Power Party, firmly stated that they woould not agree on a special investigation bill with an unrestricted scope.

He also made it clear that unreasonable execution of the warrant should not happen.

[Kwon Young-se/PPP's Emergency Response Committee Chairman: "It is absolutely necessary for Acting President Choi to request all related agencies to refrain from unreasonable actions…."]

Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the Democratic Party, emphasized that active control by the Presidential Security Service is the way to avoid clashes, rather than the special investigation bill.

[Lee Jae-myung/Democratic Party Leader: "Saying that we shouldn't catch a criminal because they might resist is somewhat unreasonable, I think."]

He also demanded personnel measures against the leadership of the Presidential Security Service from Acting President Choi, but Choi avoided giving a direct answer, saying he would consider it.

After the meeting with the party leaders, Acting President Choi publicly instructed both the police and the Presidential Security Service to sufficiently coordinate and ensure safety to avoid any clashes.

This is KBS News, Lee Hyun-jun.