0
Democratic Party leader Jung Chung-rae speaks during a budget policy meeting at Gyeonggi Provincial Government in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, on September 10. / Source: Yonhap News

Democratic Party leader Jung Chung-rae said Wednesday he ordered renegotiations on the three special counsel amendment bills after his party’s floor leader struck a deal with the ruling People Power Party. Jung argued the agreement contradicted the party leadership’s stance and the original intent of the legislation.

Speaking to reporters at the National Assembly, Jung said, “Although our floor leader worked hard, the outcome was very different from the leadership’s position, which left me perplexed. That’s why I immediately directed renegotiation.”

He stressed that the core of the special counsel amendment is extending the investigation period, adding, “To strike a deal that drops the extension is directly at odds with the legislative purpose.” Jung added that the issue would be carefully discussed in party leadership meetings and a general assembly of lawmakers.

DP floor leader Kim Byung-gi also addressed the controversy, explaining, “Yesterday’s announcement was just a first-round discussion. A final revised bill had not been drafted, which caused confusion.” He rejected the PPP’s accusation of “scrapping” the agreement, saying, “Nothing was documented, so it’s inaccurate to say it was torn up. It was an initial negotiation that still requires approval from the leadership and caucus.”

The previous day, the DP and PPP floor leaders had announced they would amend the DP-led special counsel bills, which passed the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, and process them through bipartisan agreement. That arrangement sparked backlash from DP hardliners, who openly criticized the deal as “siding with the rebellion party” — their term for the PPP. On Thursday morning, the PPP accused the DP of unilaterally breaking the bipartisan accord.