Seoul-Area Opposition Candidates Urge Withdrawal of Democratic Party Special Prosecutor Bill

Seoul-area metropolitan candidates from opposition parties running in the June 3 local elections met Monday and denounced a Democratic Party-backed “special prosecutor bill on alleged fabricated prosecutions,” calling it an “Lee Jae-myung self-pardon special prosecutor bill.” They said they would begin a nationwide resistance campaign to stop what they described as a “judicial coup.”

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and Incheon mayoral candidate Yoo Jeong-bok of the People Power Party, along with New Reform Party candidates Kim Jeong-cheol for Seoul mayor and Cho Eung-cheon for Gyeonggi governor, held a joint meeting at the National Assembly and issued a statement. People Power Party Gyeonggi governor candidate Yang Hyang-ja did not attend due to scheduling conflicts but joined the statement.

Cho, who proposed the meeting, said, “How can a special prosecutor appointed by the president withdraw an indictment that erases the president’s crimes? It shakes the foundation of the rule of law and is a judicial insurrection.” He added, “On a foundation where the rule of law collapses, local autonomy and the people’s livelihood economy are nothing but a house of cards.”

Oh said he could not “stand by” what he called the Lee Jae-myung government’s destruction of the rule of law and democracy, and urged all political forces except the Democratic Party to respond with “extraordinary resolve.” Yoo said South Korea stood at a crossroads between remaining a country governed by law and becoming one where those in power “erase their own cases,” and asked Democratic Party candidates Jeong Won-oh for Seoul mayor, Park Chan-dae for Incheon mayor and Choo Mi-ae for Gyeonggi governor whether they support or oppose the bill.

Kim said that if a law allowing someone to “delete their own crimes” is permitted, it would set a precedent that could be repeated even after a change of government.

In their joint statement, the candidates demanded that the Democratic Party immediately halt and withdraw what they called the “Lee Jae-myung self-pardon special prosecutor bill.” They also urged President Lee Jae-myung to clearly declare to the public: “During my term, there will never be any withdrawal of indictments related to my allegations, and I will stand trial according to law and principle.”

They said they would launch a nationwide online petition to block what they called a judicial coup and conduct public outreach to highlight problems with the bill. They also said they would build solidarity beyond party lines and called on the media, intellectuals and civic groups to state their positions.