Choi Bo-yoon, Senior Spokesperson for the People Power Party. Yonhap News file photo

On the 14th, as the 180-day investigation by the 'Insurrection Special Prosecutor' concluded, the People Power Party voiced criticism against the government and Special Prosecutor Cho Eun-seok.

In a statement today, Senior Spokesperson Choi Bo-yoon strongly criticized, stating, "All Special Prosecutor Cho Eun-seok has done for half a year is suppress the opposition party and pursue an insurrection narrative."

Senior Spokesperson Choi added, "In short, all Special Prosecutor Cho Eun-seok has done for the past six months is engage in a 'political investigation' aimed at labeling the main opposition party as an 'insurrection party'," and criticized, "The narrative preceded the evidence, and the conclusion came before the facts."

He further expressed his anger, stating, "The investigation was repeatedly conducted by defining the main opposition party as an 'insurrection party' and forcing it into that framework. By employing raids and searches, the scope of investigation extended even to the parliamentary activities of the National Assembly. This was an unprecedented political pressure, effectively treating the main opposition party as a criminal organization."

Senior Spokesperson Choi commented, "The Special Prosecutor's Office, through hundreds of pages of opinion briefs, requested an unreasonable arrest warrant for former floor leader Choo Kyung-ho, but the court revealed the true nature of Special Prosecutor Cho Eun-seok's 'political investigation' with a single sentence: 'There is room for dispute regarding the charges and legal grounds.'"

He also pointed out that despite the court's clear intervention, the Special Prosecutor's Office pushed for indictment without any reflection, emphasizing, "It is common sense to review the investigation if a warrant is rejected, but Special Prosecutor Cho Eun-seok shifted direction to a 'tailored indictment.' This was not an pursuit of truth but a choice to adhere to a specific conclusion and continue suppressing the opposition party."

Senior Spokesperson Choi noted that the rate of arrest warrants being issued and approved in the Insurrection Special Prosecutor's investigation was found to be less than half of the annual criminal case issuance rate, stating that the court's repeated mention of "room for dispute" is "further proof that Special Prosecutor Cho Eun-seok's investigation relied on narrative rather than evidence."

He further stated, "Political bias has already been sufficiently proven through unreasonable warrant requests and 'repeated rejections.' The Democratic Party's insurrection narrative, which attempted to frame the opposition party as 'insurrectionist forces' and a 'unconstitutional party,' was also revealed as false in the face of the rule of law."

Despite this, the Democratic Party is once again raising the issue of a 'second special prosecutor,' stating, "After investing immense resources for six months, they are still unsatisfied and want to continue the 'insurrection narrative.'"

Senior Spokesperson Choi criticized, "The Democratic Party remains silent on discussions for a special prosecutor regarding the Unification Church allegations, yet repeatedly brings up a special prosecutor under the pretext of 'settling insurrection.' This attitude of prioritizing special prosecutors only for issues favorable to the ruling party, while ignoring the opposition party's requests for special prosecutors, indicates that 'special prosecutors are being used as a tool for political pressure rather than for fair fact-finding.' Such selective special prosecutions can no longer be justified."

He also criticized, "The 'Cho Eun-seok Insurrection Special Prosecutor' will be recorded as a failed special prosecutor that suppressed the opposition party, engaged in political prosecution, and undermined judicial trust. It must conclude its 180 days of disgrace by acknowledging itself as a 'political special prosecutor' before the people and history."

Editorial Department, Hankook Ilbo