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Kim Hyun-jung, floor spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Korea. / Yonhap News

South Korea’s ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) said on November 19 that it is close to reaching an agreement with the opposition People Power Party (PPP) on launching a parliamentary investigation into the prosecution’s withdrawal of an appeal in the Daejang-dong development scandal. Only the issue of how the inquiry should be conducted remains unresolved, the party said.

DPK floor spokesperson Kim Hyun-jung said during an appearance on YTN Radio that both sides have effectively agreed to include the full scope of allegations: the DPK’s claims of “fabricated investigations” and “collective insubordination” within the prosecution, as well as the PPP’s allegation that the presidential office pressured prosecutors to drop the appeal. “We have reached the point of agreeing to investigate all of it,” she said.

However, the two parties remain divided over the format. The PPP is pushing for a special committee with an equal number of lawmakers from each side, while the DPK insists the probe should be conducted by the standing Legislation and Judiciary Committee. Kim warned that creating a special committee would be slow, saying it would require lengthy procedures such as appointing members and adopting investigation plans. “If uncovering the truth is truly urgent, there is no reason it cannot proceed through the standing committee,” she said, adding that the PPP is objecting because Legislation and Judiciary Committee chair Chu Mi-ae is a Democrat.

Kim also criticized senior prosecutors who attempted to resign in protest over the appeal decision, calling their reaction “selective outrage.” She noted that prosecutors remained silent when the government dropped its appeal in the disciplinary case involving former Prosecutor General Yoon Suk-yeol. Their behavior, she argued, could violate the National Public Service Act’s ban on collective action, and urged that an investigation be conducted before any resignations are accepted.

On the DPK leadership’s recent efforts to soften rhetoric in light of President Lee Jae-myung’s overseas trip, Kim said, “Diplomacy is an important matter that affects the national economy and people’s livelihoods. Reform will continue as planned, but we must also deliver the administration’s diplomatic achievements to the public in a balanced manner.”