Chung Chung-rae, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, is passing the bill amid lawmakers of the People Power Party are leaving the plenary session of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee on May 7th. Reporter Han Soo-bin

On the 7th, the Democratic Party of Korea launched a series of so-called “bulletproof legislation” aimed at protecting its presidential candidate, Lee Jae-myung, from ongoing judicial risks. The party is seeking to amend the Criminal Procedure Act to halt Lee's trials and to revise the Public Offices Election Act to eliminate the punishment altogether. Although the court postponed the trial until after the presidential election, the DPK continued its aggressive stance against the judiciary by scheduling a confirmation hearing for Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae on the 14th.

The National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee held a plenary session the same day and passed a resolution titled 'Plan for Hearing to Investigate Suspicions of Judicial Interference in the Presidential Election by Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae and Others'. The DPK plans to summon Chief Justice Cho at 10 a.m. on May14 to inquire into the circumstances of the unusually swift dismissal and remand of Lee's case involving false information under the Public Official Election Law. Members of the People Power Party walked out in protest when Justice Committee Chairman Chung Cheong-rae, a Democrat, forced the vote on the matter.

The DPK also passed a revision bill to amend the Criminal Procedure Act to suspend five pending trials against Lee, including a false statement case. The amendment to Article 306 would halt trials for the duration of a defendant's term if elected president. “Isn't it a political act to subordinate the judiciary by legislating impunity for criminals and then summoning the head of the judiciary here for a hearing to pressure him to resign?” criticized PPP lawmaker Yoo Sang-beom.

The DPK held a plenary session of the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee to single-handedly pass an amendment to the Public Offices Election Act that would remove the "action" part from the definition of the crime of spreading false facts. Previously, the Supreme Court interpreted candidate Lee's comments related to golf and Baekhyun-dong as false disclosures about his actions and remanded the case for conviction.

The Judiciary Committee further approved a bill to revise the Prosecutor Discipline Act to allow the Justice Minister to directly request disciplinary action against prosecutors. Meanwhile, the DPK canceled a press conference scheduled to announce charges filed by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials against Chief Justice Cho and nine Supreme Court justices.

The DPK’s decision to take a hardline stance is based on its belief that the fallout in public opinion would be minimal. Despite the Supreme Court remanding Lee’s case for conviction, major polls show Lee maintaining around 50 percent approval in virtual presidential matchups by major pollsters.

However, some surveys show signs of possible backlash. According to a Korea Gallup poll of 1007 adults conducted on May 4 and 5 for News 1 (see the website of the National Election Opinion Research and Review Commission for full results), 52 percent of respondents said that the trial should proceed even if he is elected president, outnumbering the 45 percent respondents who said the trial should be suspended (45 percent).

Within the DPK, concerns are growing that the party’s continued hardline stance may provoke public backlash. Some worry this could undermine the candidate’s stability and introduce new uncertainties in the race. “The moment we’re perceived as aggressors rather than victims, public sentiment can turn,” warned a first-term lawmaker. “There’s no reason to add variables during a campaign even when we need to eliminate existing ones,” added a senior party member.

Some point out that if Lee wins, the DPK, which controls the legislature and administration, could undermine the separation of powers and stoke fears of monopolizing state affairs. “I don't think the Democratic Party's hardline stance is good for the polls because it's a preview of what will happen if Lee becomes president and the Democratic Party, which has an overwhelming majority of seats, becomes the ruling party,” said Park Sung-min, CEO of political consultancy Min.