Han Byeong-do, the floor leader of the Democratic Party, criticized the People Power Party on August 27 for inviting former President Park Geun-hye to a workshop for lawmakers, calling it "a truly bizarre regression to the past." He also pledged to carry out police reform to address the public's distrust in law enforcement.
During a policy coordination meeting held at the National Assembly, Han stated, "The People Power Party has officially invited former President Park to seek advice on the direction the party should take. This is indeed a bizarre regression to the past."
He pointed out that Park was removed from office by a unanimous decision of the Constitutional Court due to her involvement in a corruption scandal and received a 22-year prison sentence from the Supreme Court. "How can they look to someone who has been judged by the public as a compass for the future?" he questioned.
Han also announced plans for significant police reform in response to the public's loss of trust highlighted by the recent missing persons case in Jeju.
He emphasized, "If we cannot trust the police, who are closest to issues directly related to the lives and safety of the public, it could lead to a crisis in the entire national security system. We can no longer leave reform solely to the police's self-regulation. We need high-intensity reforms that involve external oversight and public control over the police."
Han added, "We will conduct a thorough review of the police organization and the overall security system through a police reform task force directly under the party leader. We will examine the entire process from reporting to investigation and resolution, ensuring that tragedies like that of Ms. Roh Mi-ran do not happen again."
Additionally, Han expressed his commitment to providing all possible support for the safe return of citizens missing due to the recent flooding in Nepal, urging the government to make every effort in search and rescue operations.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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