Hong Joon-pyo on MB's Re-arrest: "In Korea, When Power Changes, Retaliatory Politics Happens... A Sad Reality"

Hong Joon-pyo, former leader of the Liberty Korea Party / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kang Ju-hee] Former Liberty Korea Party leader Hong Joon-pyo criticized the recent court decision to re-arrest former President Lee Myung-bak on the 19th, saying, "The political retaliation against two former presidents never ends."

On the 19th, Hong posted on his Facebook, "In the past, when a king ascended the throne, the prison gates were opened for a general amnesty, but Korea alone sadly stays up all night with retaliation whenever the government changes. I see this political reality again in MB's re-arrest," he pointed out.

He added, "Is it really necessary to treat a former president who is in his eighties like this to feel satisfied? Stop it now. Those who rise by the sword fall by the sword."

Former President Lee Myung-bak was sentenced on the same day to 17 years in prison, an increase of 2 years from the first trial, along with a fine of 13 billion won and a confiscation of about 5.78 billion won, on charges including embezzlement of 34 billion won and bribery of 16 billion won. As a result, he was detained in court 350 days after being released on bail on March 6 last year.

When former President Lee was first arrested in March 2018, Hong also stated, "Is it the right judgment for the country to imprison another opposition former president on personal corruption charges after impeaching and arresting former President Park for state affairs manipulation?" He mentioned, "When former Presidents Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo were arrested, and even when former President Roh Moo-hyun took his own life, the public saw it as a process of creating clean politics, not as a political retaliation frame related to former presidents' cases."