People Power Party: "6.4 Billion Won Spent on Rent Alone for 'Political Special Counsel' Offices"

The People Power Party has criticized the lack of investigative capability and excessive budget spending by special counsel teams launched under the Lee Jae-myung administration, including the three major special counsels (insurrection, Kim Keon-hee, and the Marine Corps death case) and the second comprehensive special counsel.
Chief Spokesperson Choi Bo-yoon urged in a commentary today (July 19), "Immediately stop forcing through special counsels for political retaliation and wasting astronomical amounts of taxpayer money."
Chief Spokesperson Choi stated in today's commentary, "The four special counsels forced through by the massive ruling party have squandered 6.461 billion won of public tax money like water on ultra-luxurious office rent in the heart of the city, which is irrelevant to the essence of the investigations."
Chief Spokesperson Choi noted that 29.3% of the total 22 billion won special counsel budget was spent on rent and interior costs, adding, "The Min Joong-ki special counsel set up an ultra-luxurious office in the middle of Gwanghwamun, Seoul, and spent 2.365 billion won in just six months. The Marine Corps special counsel also moved into a prime building in Gangnam and paid a total of 1.886 billion won in rent with taxpayer money over five months."
Furthermore, she added, "The Cho Eun-seok special counsel, which moved into the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office building owned by the government, also spent a total of 1.603 billion won, including 225 million won on interior costs, and the Ahn Kwon-seop standing special counsel, which operated for three months, wasted 607 million won on real estate costs."
Chief Spokesperson Choi criticized, "The Democratic Party of Korea is now threatening to spend more public money by extending the investigation period of the second comprehensive special counsel," adding, "If they are going to squander taxes like their own pocket money, they should just set up the special counsel offices at the Democratic Party headquarters or the Blue House."
Representative Kim Gi-hyeon, who is under investigation by the second comprehensive special counsel on charges of obstructing the arrest of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, disclosed on social media the written questions from the special counsel asking about the situation at the time, such as the lifting of emergency martial law and the vote on the impeachment motion against former President Yoon, and criticized, "Is this country Lee Jae-myung's public security state?"
Representative Kim condemned, "By what authority is the special counsel conducting political surveillance on a National Assembly member's vote on the floor of the National Assembly? Do opposition lawmakers need to get approval from the special counsel before voting?" He continued, "They are shamelessly asking for extensions to their operating periods and increases in personnel without producing a single proper result. It is a complete waste of tax money."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.