PPP holds rally outside Cheong Wa Dae against 'fabricated indictment' special prosecutor act

The People Power Party held an emergency leadership meeting outside Cheong Wa Dae on Monday to protest the so-called "fabricated indictment special prosecutor act," which passed the National Assembly floor session under the leadership of the ruling camp, and continued one-person demonstrations at the site. The move signals an escalation of the party's anti-government offensive, following a large outdoor rally near Gyeongbokgung on Saturday.

PPP leader Jang Dong-hyeok, speaking at the emergency meeting held in front of Cheong Wa Dae's Sarangchae annex, said "the Lee Jae Myung jailbreak act has passed the National Assembly," adding that the legislation "has now come to Cheong Wa Dae, where they intend to push it through a Cabinet meeting tomorrow."

Jang likened the special prosecutor act to a "key." "The key that could break prisoner Lee Jae Myung out of jail has been placed in Lee Jae Myung's hands," he said. "The moment he uses that key and walks out through the prison gate, he will come face to face with the people — watching and surrounding him on every side."

"The Democratic Party says it will deploy 300 people, including prosecutors, for the Lee Jae Myung jailbreak project — and more than 38 billion won ($28 million) in funding," Jang said. "They intend to carry out this insane project openly, in front of the public."

He said, however, that "the Lee Jae Myung jailbreak project will not succeed," pointing to remarks by Democratic Party lawmaker Jeong Seong-ho — a close ally of Lee and a former minister of justice — who said "not a single rat will be found," and by former party leader Cho Kuk, who raised constitutional concerns about the legislation.

Jang said that "the moment they push ahead with President Lee Jae Myung's jailbreak project, they will ultimately set in motion the Lee Jae Myung and Democratic Party imprisonment project, the Lee Jae Myung impeachment project, and the Lee Jae Myung trial-resumption project."

Jang doubled down on the prospect of presidential impeachment. "Whether it is the power to resume the trial or the power to impeach Lee Jae Myung, the people will provide it," he said. "All power comes from the people. But the price for abusing power entrusted by the people for one's own benefit is removal from office — in other words, impeachment."

Floor leader Jeong Jeom-sik said the party would not call on President Lee to exercise a veto. "We never expected that of him," Jeong said. "If he were that kind of person, things would never have come to this point."

"The moment he signs this bill, the end of the Lee Jae Myung administration will come sooner, and the timeline for the trial resumption will be shortened — he should keep that in mind," Jeong said. "President Lee Jae Myung's jailbreak attempt is bound to fail. The special prosecutor act is 100 percent unconstitutional."

Jeong walked through the bill's flaws one by one, citing the restoration of the special prosecutor's investigative powers, infringement on judicial authority, and the appointment of judges for one's own trial. On the investigative powers provision, Jeong was particularly sharp: "The Democratic Party stripped prosecutors of their investigative authority through amendments to the Criminal Procedure Act, then restored those powers through the special prosecutor act," he said. "A special prosecutor act built on a law that no longer exists is not law — it is scrap paper."

After the emergency meeting wrapped up around 9:30 a.m., Jeong and PPP policy committee chairperson Im Yi-ja launched one-person demonstrations. Each held a picket sign — Jeong's reading "Resuming Lee Jae Myung's trial is the people's order" and Im's reading "Strongly condemn Lee Jae Myung's self-acquittal" — and both wore red "trial resumption" ribbons as they protested.

Speaking to reporters after the demonstration, Jeong said he was devastated. "I never imagined a special prosecutor act to drop charges, and after the bill was submitted I never expected it to pass the National Assembly floor session at all," he said.