South Korea opposition demands special prosecutor over alleged prosecution withdrawal trade
South Korea’s main opposition party pressed President Lee Jae-myung on Tuesday to address a pair of high-stakes allegations that have become a flashpoint in domestic politics. The People Power Party (PPP) cited a broadcaster’s comments and a social-media post about a so-called “prosecution withdrawal trade” to demand the president explain his position and to call for a special prosecutor to investigate the issue.
PPP senior spokesperson Park Seong-hoon said the president’s X post criticizing media reporting for lacking verification and spreading unfounded claims highlighted a broader problem. He asked why, if those concerns are valid, the president has not publicly commented on the “prosecution withdrawal trade” allegations raised by YouTuber Kim Eo-jun.
Park warned that if the allegations—namely that charges could be dropped in exchange for influence over prosecutorial powers—were true, they would threaten constitutional order and could even become grounds for impeachment. He argued the president’s silence stands in contrast with past instances where he actively explained issues related to his own legal matters via social media.
The PPP also faulted the decision to file complaints against former MBC journalist Jang Young-ha while excluding Kim Eo-jun from the list of defendants, saying the discrepancy raises questions about media accountability. They asserted that, if the president’s logic applies, Kim Eo-jun’s broadcasting could be the real “knife-like media” that should face scrutiny, and urged a robust response to what they call fake news.
Reiterating its push, the party called for a special prosecutor to investigate the “prosecution withdrawal trade” allegations, insisting that the public deserves to know the truth free from political interference. They argued that only an independent probe can uncover the facts beyond the administration’s influence.
Background context included in the debate notes that during the 20th presidential election, the president was accused of ties to organized crime by former PPP official Jang Young-ha. The president previously criticized media coverage of that controversy on X, saying there had been no correction to reports surrounding the allegations.
For international readers, the dispute touches on South Korea’s rule-of-law environment and the independence of investigative powers. A credible, independent inquiry could affect investor confidence, technology and manufacturing sectors, and the stability of a U.S.-South Korea security alliance. How Seoul handles prosecutorial reform and media accountability may influence policy signals, regulatory risk, and market expectations in a region where U.S.-Asia supply chains and defense coordination rely on predictable governance.