Democratic Party Hardliners Seek to Impeach Four Prosecutors: Leadership Keeps a Distance to Avoid Possible Backlash

A Taste of Fresh Squid, Lee Jae-myung at Jumunjin Market in Gangneung: Democratic Party of Korea leader Lee Jae-myung tastes some raw squid at the Jumunjin Pungmul Fish Market in Gangneung-si, Gangwon on June 22. Yonhap News

Some hardline legislators of the Democratic Party of Korea are preparing to propose the impeachment of four prosecutors entangled in controversy linked to corruption and retaliatory prosecution. They are trying to counter the investigations by the Prosecution Service targeting the opposition from all directions with the impeachment of the prosecutors, but party members voiced concerns of a backlash. The party’s leadership on the floor kept their distance and said, “It is not the position of the party.”

Legislator Kim Yong-min, a member of Cheoreomhoi, a group of hardline lawmakers in the Democratic Party, is preparing a motion for the impeachment of four prosecutors: three who received drinks and entertainment from Kim Bong-hyun, former chairman of Star Mobility and a key figure in the Lime Asset Management scandal, and the prosecutor who indicted Yoo Woo-sung, the victim framed of espionage, in retaliation. Lawmaker Kim’s office announced that as of June 21, about fifty Democratic Party lawmakers have signed the impeachment motion.

Legislator Kim sent a letter to the lawmakers and said, “According to the prosecutor’s investigation, Prosecutor Na received food and drinks exceeding a million won. But in the first trial, he was acquitted on grounds that the entertainment he received cost less than 930,000 won. There is also no way other than an impeachment to punish Prosecutor An, who, in retaliation, prosecuted Yoo Woo-sung, framed for espionage, because the statute of limitations has expired.” The Democratic Party lawmaker argued that they should punish the prosecutors with impeachment before it was too late. The impeachment of corrupt prosecutors has also been demanded by some hardline supporters of the Democratic Party.

However, inside the party people voiced concern that the impeachment could be accepted as an act of retaliation against the prosecutors’ investigations of the opposition party. Some also pointed out that the timing was inappropriate, promoting the impeachment right after the party leader Lee Jae-myung declared he would give up his privilege from arrest on June 19.

Lawmaker Cho Eung-cheon appeared on MBC radio Thursday and said, “I’m not sure if it (impeachment of prosecutors) will be that helpful to the party in this situation.”

There is also the question of effectiveness. All four prosecutors considered for the impeachment have either had their charges dropped or were acquitted in the first trial. In addition, in 2021, the Democratic Party had managed to pass the impeachment motion in the National Assembly for former Judge Lim Seong-geun, who abused judicial authority, only to have it dismissed by the Constitutional Court.

It is unclear as to whether the impeachment will actually be motioned. An impeachment requires the support of a third (100) or more of the registered lawmakers to be proposed before the National Assembly. So, the motion needs the signatures of an additional fifty legislators. The Democratic Party’s leadership on the floor has drawn the line saying it will not promote the impeachment at the party level. The party’s spokesperson on the floor, Lee So-young said in a briefing at the National Assembly Thursday, “It is something that some legislators are promoting and not the position of the party,” and added, “It was never discussed among the floor leadership.”