The Democratic Party of Korea on Wednesday called on the People Power Party to immediately cooperate in forming a special parliamentary committee to investigate alleged prosecutorial misconduct in high-profile cases including the Daejang-dong development scandal.
Six Democratic lawmakers from the party's "Committee for Promoting Parliamentary Investigation into Fabricated Indictments and Prosecution Withdrawals under the Yoon Seok-yeol Dictatorship" held a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Hall.
"The Democratic Party submitted a request for a parliamentary investigation on the 11th, initiated by floor leader Han Byeong-do, and it was reported to the plenary session on the 12th," the lawmakers said.
National Assembly Speaker requested negotiations with floor leaders of each parliamentary negotiating bloc on the 13th to form a special investigation committee under the Act on the Inspection and Investigation of State Administration, according to the lawmakers.
"The Democratic Party intends to form an investigation committee of 20 members from both ruling and opposition parties to conduct a substantive parliamentary investigation," they said.
The lawmakers characterized the cases subject to investigation as "representative cases of suspected fabricated indictments perpetrated by the politicized prosecution during the Yoon Seok-yeol administration" and "serious incidents that severely undermined the fairness of Korea's judicial system and the foundation of democracy."
When asked whether Democrats would form the special committee unilaterally if the ruling party refuses to participate, Vice Chairman Park Seong-jun said the People Power Party "should actively engage in the special committee as they were forces that supported the fabricated indictments."
Park added that negotiations between floor leadership officials from both parties are currently underway regarding the committee's formation.