A group of 105 Democratic Party of Korea lawmakers launched "the Democratic Party Lawmakers' Group for Prosecutorial Dismissal and Parliamentary Investigation into President Lee Jae-myung's Cases" on Wednesday. The move has drawn criticism for exposing early tensions between the presidential office and the party.
At the launch ceremony held at the National Assembly Members' Office Building, the group declared it would "immediately pursue a parliamentary investigation to reveal the full extent of the prosecution's fabricated indictments and report the truth to the public." Of the party's 162 lawmakers, 105 joined the group, with approximately 60 attending the ceremony.
Rep. Park Sung-jun, standing representative of the group, said, "During the Yoon Seok-yeol prosecutorial regime, fellow lawmakers including former party leader Song Young-gil, party members, and countless citizens who supported democracy were subjected to investigations and indictments by the politicized prosecution." He emphasized that "seeking dismissal of charges against President Lee is not about rescuing a specific individual but about restoring judicial justice by correcting the prosecution's fabricated and abused indictment powers."
The group said it would immediately pursue a parliamentary investigation to examine the political background of indictments and potential external interference, identify illegally collected evidence, and propose legislation to prevent recurrence.
The absence of party chairman Chung Chung-rae and his close ally, Supreme Council member Lee Sung-yoon, from the 105-member group has been interpreted as exposing strained relations between the party and the presidential office. The revelation that both were forcibly removed from President Lee's fan cafe "Jaemyeong Village" on the same day fueled speculation of emerging internal rifts.
Chairman Chung has faced criticism for exposing weaknesses in party-presidential office relations after proposing a merger with the Rebuilding Korea Party without coordinating with the presidential office, only to withdraw the proposal amid internal backlash. Rep. Kim Byung-joo, who was originally on the member list, withdrew amid concerns the group represented factional interests.
The People Power Party harshly criticized the group as a "shield" for President Lee, calling it "insane." PPP leader Jang Dong-hyuk said, "I understand ruling party lawmakers are showing this behavior as trial resumption approaches, but I urge them to consider how the public will view this."
Senior Supreme Council member Shin Dong-wook said, "This dismissal group is truly shameful and politically speaking, I believe it is no different from forming a criminal organization. Haven't they been claiming innocence all along? If innocent, they should simply receive acquittal or dismissal through trial."
Youth Supreme Council member Woo Jae-jun criticized, "I cannot help but feel dismayed seeing what is effectively a 105-member 'defense team' for Lee Jae-myung alone holding official events in the National Assembly, which operates on taxpayers' money and is required to serve the public interest."