President Lee Jae-myung reaffirmed the need to establish the facts regarding the controversy over a so-called "fabricated indictment (withdrawal of prosecution) special counsel" being pursued by the ruling camp. He said, however, that whether and how to pursue a special counsel is a matter for the National Assembly to decide, signaling he would leave the related discussion to the legislature's judgment.
At a press conference marking the first anniversary of his inauguration, held at the Blue House Wednesday, President Lee responded to a question about the fabricated indictment special counsel and the withdrawal of prosecution issue. "In conclusion, it can be handled according to law and common sense," he said. "At the very least, the facts must be established."
"If something is wrong, it can be corrected, and if nothing is wrong, it can be left as is," he said. "If there are concealed facts, they should be revealed, and if wrongdoing is confirmed, the prosecution can be withdrawn." He added, "There are quite a few cases that appear problematic even when viewed objectively," explaining that "the truth-finding could be carried out by a joint prosecution-police investigation headquarters under my direction, or it could be handled by a neutral special counsel appointed by the National Assembly."
He then lent weight to the special counsel push, saying, "From the standpoint of the public or the opposition party, wouldn't it be better for a neutral special counsel to handle it?" and "Even to prevent unnecessary misunderstanding, it is desirable for the National Assembly to decide."
On the issue of the prosecution's supplementary investigation authority, over which differences had emerged between the ruling party and the government, he also indicated he would leave the final judgment to the National Assembly. "Every system has advantages and disadvantages," President Lee said. "Restricting the prosecution's authority is important, but the problem of the public suffering harm as a result must also be considered."
While explaining his existing position that supplementary investigation authority of an exceptional and supplementary scope is necessary for efficient investigation and to prevent harm to the public, he said, "The public's distrust runs too deep," adding, "Rather than the government insisting on a particular position, it would be better to hand it over to the National Assembly for discussion."
"Once the system is implemented, if it is judged to be problematic, it can be fixed then," he added. "What matters more now is to address the public's concerns."
The ruling party also intends to conduct the related discussion with the National Assembly at the center. Cho Seung-rae, secretary-general of the Democratic Party of Korea, said at a press conference that day, "The direction for handling the currently proposed special counsel bill will be decided after sufficient discussion in the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, once the second-half body organization is completed."
The opposition People Power Party, by contrast, strongly objected. Regarding President Lee's reaffirmation of his intent to pursue the so-called "fabricated indictment special counsel," People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok argued, "Now that the election is over, it is effectively a declaration of dictatorship that 'I will now do whatever I want.'" He claimed, "If he wants to strongly pursue the normalization of the abnormal, as he himself put it, the first thing to do is to resume Lee Jae-myung's own trial."
