[Anchor]
The Democratic Party released additional audio recordings of Prosecutor Park Sang-yong during a session of the special parliamentary committee probing allegations that prosecutors in the previous administration fabricated indictments.
The People Power Party denounced the tapes as a patchwork and staged a walkout. Prosecutor Park, who had been summoned as a witness, refused to take the oath and was removed from the hearing.
This is reporter Jeong Da-ye.
[Reporter]
The committee’s first institutional briefing opened amid a partisan confrontation over recordings that allegedly show Prosecutor Park attempting to influence testimony.
Democrats said the tapes reveal evidence of manufactured indictments, while the People Power Party accused them of cherry-picking material, and tensions flared early in the session.
About an hour into questioning, Democratic lawmaker Jeon Yong-gi played additional recordings of Prosecutor Park.
「Audio (recording)」 The accomplice will go with Lee Jae-myung… it will balloon to a size the judge can’t sentence. If that happens, Vice Governor Lee Hwa-young will likely be implicated.
Democrats accused prosecutors of fabricating a narrative to cast President Lee Jae-myung as the ringleader.
「Jeon Yong-gi / Democratic Party lawmaker」 The recordings expose, in raw detail, how they sketched out a scenario and forced the pieces to fit.
The People Power Party pushed for the full transcript to be made public and countered that there is clear evidence suggesting someone funded the president’s trip to North Korea.
「Shin Dong-wook / People Power Party lawmaker」 If no one covered the cost of President Lee Jae-myung’s trip, could Vice Governor Lee Hwa-young have acted without the president’s knowledge?
In the afternoon, Prosecutor Park appeared in person as a witness but refused to take the oath, plunging the hearing into further disorder.
Park and the People Power Party requested an opportunity to explain his reasons; Democrats opposed granting it.
Park ultimately submitted a written statement and was escorted out of the session.
「Park Sang-yong / Prosecutor」 I will not change my mind after I leave.
「Seo Young-kyo / Chair, Special Committee on the State Investigation (Democratic Party)」 Witness Park Sang-yong, please step outside and wait.
After the People Power Party’s departure, the committee continued under Democratic control, effectively proceeding with a half-session.
Both parties held separate press conferences and continued their exchanges outside the chamber. The People Power Party said it will file a complaint with prosecutors against attorney Seo Min-seok, a Democratic local election primary candidate who has been releasing the recordings.
This is Jeong Da-ye for Yonhap News TV.
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Jeong Da-ye (yeye@yna.co.kr)
