Speech by the representative of a non-negotiating group... “We will seriously consider our relationship with the Democratic Party in the event of a retreat from reform.”
“Respect moderate and conservative expansion, but don’t go too far”… Proposal of ‘Special Committee on Resolving Inequality’
(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Park Gyeong-jun = On the 9th, Shin Jang-sik, leader of the Cho Kuk Innovation Party, criticized the prosecution reform-related bill, such as the bill to maintain the number of prosecutors in the Public Prosecution Office, and the nomination of candidate Kim Ji-yong, a former prosecutor, as the first head of the Serious Crimes Investigation Office, calling it "not prosecution reform, but 'prosecution renaming.'"
Representative Shin said this in a speech by the head of a non-negotiating group at the regular National Assembly session on this day, saying, “The tower of prosecution reform that the people built with their blood and sweat is shaking.”
Representative Shin said, “They say they will appoint a former prosecutor as the first candidate for the head of the Central Investigation Agency, and in particular, a person whose name was listed on the panel that sided with Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol,” and asked, “Why were the leaders and members of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea silent until this situation arose?”
He emphasized, “If, by any chance, a retreat in prosecution reform is tolerated, the Innovation Party will have no choice but to seriously review its relationship with the Democratic Party.”
After the announcement of Candidate Kim's selection, the Innovation Party protested, saying that in November 2020, when he was Deputy Director of the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office, he was a person who collectively protested against then-Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae's order to suspend Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol and file for disciplinary action, and was listed on the bench.
Regarding the government and the ruling party's abolition of the plan to reduce the basic comprehensive real estate tax deduction for non-residential homeowners, Representative Shin said, "The people are turning their backs on the Democratic Party's U-turn," and added, "Why is the party that is supposed to represent the working class and the middle class pushing the youth and the working class without a home to a lower priority in policy?"
He then said, “If we abolish the comprehensive real estate tax, will we win the general election?” and added, “I respect the Democratic Party’s expansion to moderates and conservatives, but don’t go too far.”
Representative Shin said, “The causes of inequality, including issues of income, education, labor, housing, and youth, are multidimensional, so it is not easy for each standing committee to comprehensively address them,” and suggested, “Let’s establish a special committee to resolve inequality in the National Assembly.”
In addition, he urged the Blue House to form an inequality countermeasures committee directly under the President, adding, "This is the way to clearly prove to the public that the president will take the lead in the fight against inequality."
