Speaking at a full meeting of the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee on May 6, Jeong responded to a question from People Power Party lawmaker Yoon Sang-hyun, who asked whether Jeong, “as a conscientious legal professional,” would tell President Lee Jae-myung the bill should not proceed. Jeong said he agreed with the bill’s “basic legislative purpose,” but added that the special counsel’s powers and the scope of cases should be decided through deliberations in the Assembly.
Jeong said suspicions were raised during a previous parliamentary investigation that the prosecution, the National Intelligence Service and the Board of Audit and Inspection abused their authority, and that prosecutors in particular may have committed significant illegal or improper acts during investigations. He said evidence had emerged that was difficult to explain away, and that the intent was to review the matter broadly.
He added that, as President Lee has said, decisions on the special counsel’s authority and targets should be made through Assembly deliberations.
On April 30, the Democratic Party submitted to the Assembly a bill titled the “Act on the Appointment of a Special Prosecutor to Uncover the Truth of Allegations of Fabricated Investigations and Fabricated Indictments by the Yoon Suk Yeol administration,” saying it would reexamine investigations and indictments carried out by the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, the NIS and the audit agency during the Yoon government.
The bill lists 12 cases for investigation, including seven cases that were subjects of the parliamentary investigation, such as the Daejang-dong development corruption allegations and the Ssangbangwool remittances-to-North-Korea case involving President Lee.
It also includes a provision stating the special counsel would handle the maintenance of prosecutions in cases transferred to it, including decisions on whether to maintain them — language that effectively provides a basis for the special counsel to cancel indictments.
After the Democratic Party submitted the bill, the opposition accused it of creating a special counsel aimed at canceling indictments to shield President Lee from criminal cases. In response to the criticism, Lee said on May 4 that the Democratic Party should decide the “specific timing and procedures” after gathering public opinion and going through a deliberative process.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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