Aftermath of 'Salmon and Alcohol Party' Ruling: What Happens to the Special Counsel Bill on Fabricated Indictment?

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Following the court's ruling that the so-called "salmon and alcohol party" claim—a key basis for allegations of a fabricated indictment by the Democratic Party—was perjury, the Democratic Party has pushed back, calling the verdict "strange." Meanwhile, the People Power Party has launched an offensive, stating that if the opposition continues to push for the dismissal of the indictment against President Lee Jae-myung based on claims of a fabricated investigation, it would constitute grounds for impeachment.

Reporter Kim Kwan-jin has the story.

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Regarding the first-instance court's conclusion that former Gyeonggi Province Vice Governor Lee Hwa-young's "salmon and alcohol party" claim was "false testimony," the Democratic Party labeled it a "strange verdict" yesterday.

[Jung Chung-rae/Democratic Party Representative: How could they reach such a verdict? It is absolutely incomprehensible and impossible to accept...]

Since the "salmon and alcohol party" allegations were raised two years ago, the Democratic Party has pushed for the impeachment of prosecutors, parliamentary investigations, and the introduction of a special counsel.

[Jung Chung-rae/Then-Chairman of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee (in 2024): Did a salmon party, alcohol party, or testimony seminar take place?]

[Lee Hwa-young/Former Gyeonggi Vice Governor: Yes, it certainly did.]

[Lee Hwa-young/Former Gyeonggi Vice Governor (April, Parliamentary Hearing): The salmon and alcohol party on May 17 was essentially a celebration of my surrender.]

Critics point out that because the existence of the "salmon and alcohol party" is a key factor in determining the validity of the fabricated indictment claims, the first-instance ruling undermines the Democratic Party's logic.

However, the Democratic Party maintains that the circumstances of the alcohol party were already revealed through the National Assembly's investigation into the alleged fabricated indictment, and they express hope that the appellate court will reach a different conclusion.

Nevertheless, the fact that this first-instance trial was conducted as a jury trial, combined with existing Supreme Court precedents stating that "the conclusions of a jury trial should not be easily overturned and must be respected," does not align with the Democratic Party's expectations.

At the first meeting of the "Task Force to Prevent the Dismissal of President Lee Jae-myung's Trial," the People Power Party argued that since the alcohol party allegations have been proven false, any attempt by the opposition to force the "dismissal of the indictment" would be grounds for impeachment.

[Joo Jin-woo/People Power Party Lawmaker: If we cannot judge politicians through the courts, that is exactly what a dictatorship is.]

Regarding the push for a "Special Counsel Bill on Fabricated Indictment" allegations, the Democratic Party only stated a principled position yesterday that they would begin discussions once the composition of the National Assembly's standing committees is completed.

Reported by Kim Kwan-jin | Video by Oh Young-chun and Kim Yong-woo | Video Editing by Won Hyung-hee
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.