Rep. Jung Chung-sik Calls Special Probe into West Sea Killing 'Political Revenge'

Rep. Jung Chung-sik, the floor leader of the People Power Party, argued Tuesday that the special prosecution bill on withdrawing indictments, which the Democratic Party rushed through, includes the trial over the alleged cover-up of the killing of a fisheries official in the West Sea, claiming it is intended as political revenge against the prosecutor who brought the indictment. In a Facebook post on Tuesday, the floor leader said, "This trial is included in the scope of the special prosecution bill on withdrawing indictments that the Democratic Party rammed through," calling the case "a successful model of indictment withdrawal dreamed of by President Lee Jae-myung."

Jung described it as a trial-withdrawal model that follows a series of steps: "First, the government submits materials that suit its purposes; second, doubts about the judge's personal indiscretions are dug up to pressure the court; third, the first-instance court hands down an acquittal; fourth, the appeal on key charges is abandoned, leading to the trial being withdrawn; and fifth, a special prosecutor pursues political revenge against the prosecuting prosecutor."

Jung also raised questions about how the acquittal came about. He claimed, "Democratic Party Rep. Park Ji-won and key figures of the Moon Jae-in administration mobilized the National Intelligence Service to fabricate favorable materials, submit them to the court, intimidate judges, and pressure prosecutors to secure an acquittal in this case."

On Wednesday morning, Jung is scheduled to hold a supreme council meeting in front of the presidential office to denounce the ruling party's forced passage of the so-called "fabricated indictment special prosecution bill," and then take part as the first runner in a relay of solo protests.