Oh Se-hoon, the mayor of Seoul, urged on November 6 for the ruling Democratic Party to halt its push for a "manipulated indictment special prosecutor law," calling it a "final version of privatizing the judicial system for President Lee Jae-myung."
In a Facebook post titled "Is President Lee Jae-myung Dreaming of an Absolute Monarchy Like in the Joseon Dynasty?" Oh criticized, "While housing prices and rents are skyrocketing, and citizens are struggling to make ends meet, the ruling party seems completely indifferent to the people's livelihoods."
He expressed dismay at the current situation, stating, "It is unacceptable that all efforts are focused solely on eliminating the president's trial risks," labeling the special prosecutor as a "judicial defense mechanism exclusively for the president."
Oh's main concern extends beyond the removal of the indictment cancellation clause to the issue of conflicts of interest. He argued, "The structure where the president is the subject of the investigation and appoints the special prosecutor remains unchanged," suggesting that this raises suspicions that the investigation results could be used to overturn existing indictments and trials against the president.
The bill that passed through the legislative committee allows the Democratic Party, the People Power Party, and the largest opposition party, the Justice Innovation Party, to each recommend one candidate for the special prosecutor, who will then be appointed by the president. Although the president does not choose candidates arbitrarily, the controversy lies in the fact that he ultimately selects the special prosecutor who will investigate cases related to him.
However, it is necessary to distinguish between the allegations of crimes against President Lee and the accusations of manipulated investigations and indictments by the prosecution. The Democratic Party argues that the legislation aims to clarify whether there were illegal acts during the investigation process by state agencies. In contrast, Oh criticized that such investigations could undermine the legitimacy of existing indictments and be used to defend the president in his trial.
The Democratic Party stated that the revised bill removes the special prosecutor's authority to decide on maintaining indictments and the right to request the transfer of existing cases, asserting that the establishment of the special prosecutor does not mean that existing trials will be immediately canceled or overturned.
Oh also pointed out that the operation of the special prosecutor is estimated to cost around 30 billion won (approximately $22 million), with over 300 personnel mobilized to conduct investigations for up to 200 days. He remarked, "This is an unprecedented abuse of power, using national budget and investigative resources to defend the president's personal judicial risks."
He referenced the three institutions of the Joseon Dynasty—Saganwon, Saheonbu, and Hongmungwan—stating, "Even in an era when royal power was strong, there were institutional mechanisms to prevent the abuse of power. In a 21st-century democratic republic where the people are the masters, if laws are being created, investigative agencies mobilized, and judicial judgments swayed for the sake of one president, what era of governance are we aiming for?"
He concluded, "To protect one president, we must stop the reckless disruption of the judicial system in South Korea and the trampling of the rule of law, which would turn back the history of democracy. If they are not afraid of the people's eyes, what remains is only the stern judgment of public sentiment."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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