Acting Pres. vetoes special prosecutor’s act on Myeong Tae-gyun

On Friday, Acting President Choi Sang-mok, who also serves as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Strategy and Finance, exercised his right to request reconsideration (veto) of the Special Prosecutor’s Act on Myeong Tae-gyun. This marks the 39th veto since the Yoon Suk Yeol administration took office and the 8th under the acting presidency.

At a special cabinet meeting held at the government complex in Seoul, Acting President Choi stated, “The Special Prosecutor’s Act on Myeong Tae-gyun is highly unconstitutional and could undermine the foundation of the criminal law system. As the acting president with the grave responsibility of protecting the Constitution, I have no choice but to exercise the right to request reconsideration. Choi criticized the bill’s ambiguity, saying, “The subjects and scope of the investigation are so unclear and vast that they raise concerns about violating the constitutional principles of clarity and proportionality.” He also pointed out that the bill includes unprecedented provisions, such as suspending the statute of limitations during the investigation and granting the special prosecutor the authority to maintain prosecution for ongoing trials. He argued that these measures may violate the constitutional principle of due process. Additionally, he emphasized that excluding the prosecution’s authority to handle already-indicted cases contradicts the core purpose of a special prosecution—to address investigative shortcomings.

Choi urged the prosecution to respond to public concerns regarding the Myeong Tae-gyun case, stating, “The prosecution must take these concerns seriously and conduct a swift and fair investigation without any sanctuaries, putting its reputation on the line.”

Reactions to the veto were divided along party lines. People Power Party Floor Leader Kwon Seong-dong defended the decision, saying, “It is natural for Acting President Choi to exercise the right to request reconsideration.” In contrast, Democratic Party of Korea Floor Leader Park Chan-dae criticized Choi, referring to him as “Deputy Prime Minister,” and accused him of obstructing the investigation. Park declared, “Deputy Prime Minister Choi himself has admitted to being an accomplice in the rebellion,” warning, “He will definitely pay the price for continuously blocking the investigation and seriously infringing on the authority of the National Assembly.”


Na-Ri Shin journari@donga.com