PPP floor leader warns abolishing prosecutors' supplementary investigation powers would bring down government, ruling party

Jeong Jeom-sik, floor leader of the People Power Party, on Sunday accused the president and the ruling party of "placing the lives and safety of the people on the scales of political engineering and striking an ugly bargain," in a sharp rebuke of the ruling party's push to abolish prosecutors' supplementary investigation powers.

In a Facebook post Sunday, Jeong wrote that "the entire nation is watching your ugly deal closely — you will be held accountable without fail." He added that if the abolition of supplementary investigation powers passes a plenary vote and the president abandons the right to request reconsideration, "the government and the ruling party will begin their joint downfall from that very moment."

He also directed criticism at President Lee Jae-myung, asking why Lee had remained silent on the issue when he "personally oversees even the deposit fees for ruling party supreme council elections." Jeong argued that Lee faces a dilemma: openly calling for abolition risks a surge in crime and a public backlash, while supporting retention could jeopardize a behind-the-scenes deal with Democratic Party hardliners over the withdrawal of indictments.

Jeong added that "the president of a nation is evading political responsibility for an outrage that shakes the very foundation of the rule of law," saying Lee has "only his own personal security after leaving office in mind." He asked, "Is this any way to conduct politics — so cowardly?"

Jeong also said Democratic Party lawmakers were "equally cowardly," accusing them of "racing to abolish supplementary investigation powers while watching the mood of hardline party members." He said candidates running in the party convention are "using the abolition of supplementary investigation powers as leverage to win votes."