The Rebuilding Korea Party insisted that the trials related to President Lee Jae-myung should be immediately halted. The Rebuilding Korea Party plans to work with the Democratic Party to push through an amendment to the criminal procedure law that would stop ongoing criminal trials upon the election of a president.
Kim Sun-min, acting leader of the Rebuilding Korea Party, held a press conference at the National Assembly on the 8th, stating, "In accordance with Article 84 of the Constitution, the trial against President Lee Jae-myung should be immediately stopped."
Article 84 of the Constitution stipulates that "the president shall not be subject to criminal prosecution while in office except in cases of treason or conspiracy." However, there is ongoing debate on whether this includes ongoing proceedings.
Kim noted, "Prosecution and trial are two sides of the same coin in criminal cases, and the argument that the privilege of immunity applies only to prosecution is legal quibble," adding, "this is 'a clever trick' to tie the hands of the government by keeping the president with the highest number of votes in court."
Moreover, Kim emphasized, "If the president is embroiled in trials for cases before taking office or in investigations or accusations during the presidency, the operation of state affairs will be paralyzed," further stressing that "the privilege of immunity was introduced by public consensus to safeguard the constitutional order and ensure the continuation of Korea."
The Rebuilding Korea Party and the Democratic Party plan to address the amendment to the criminal procedure law at the plenary session scheduled for the 12th. President Lee was elected while facing five ongoing trials, including violations of the Public Official Election Act and allegations related to Daejang-dong. The first trial hearing for the appeal regarding the violation of the Public Official Election Act by President Lee is set for the 18th.
Kim stated, "The National Assembly should convene the plenary session to swiftly pass the amendment to the criminal procedure law," and added, "Do not rely on the goodwill of individual courts, and do not hesitate to explicitly clarify the procedural realization of the constitutional privilege of immunity."