Representative Lee on the Ruling Party: "Nothing Lacking... They Are on the Right Track"
When Asked About His Feelings After Acquittal, He Said, "I Thought of My Family"
Lee Jae-myung, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, who was sentenced to disqualification from election in the appellate court for the charge of spreading false information related to the 'forced hospitalization of his older brother' case but later received a not guilty verdict from the Supreme Court, is responding to reporters' questions as he attends the retrial sentencing hearing held at Suwon High Court in Yeongtong-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do on the morning of the 16th. / Photo by Yonhap News
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] Lee Jae-myung, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, said on the 16th about Lee Nak-yeon, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, "Since he runs the party, it doesn't go his way, does it?" and added, "In that respect, I have an advantage."
On the same day, in an interview on KBS Radio's 'Joo Jin-woo Live,' when asked if there was anything he thought he was better at than Leader Lee, Lee Jae-myung replied, "I have command authority over provincial administration, so I can achieve small but concrete results."
Regarding the Democratic Party under Leader Lee's leadership, he said, "I don't see any shortcomings at all. They are working hard and setting the right direction," and praised, "Looking at the recent formation of the real estate task force (TF), they are performing excellently."
About topping some preference polls for the next presidential candidate, he dismissed it by saying, "(There is) still a lot of time until the presidential election. No one knows when or how things will turn out."
He added, "The role of a worker is determined by the people. If a worker tries to do this and that, it won't look good."
Regarding his feelings after being acquitted in the retrial for false statements related to the 'forced hospitalization of his elder brother,' he said, "I feel relieved, but also empty thinking about how difficult it was to reach such an obvious conclusion," and smiled, adding, "I thought a lot about my family. I think I have matured."
Meanwhile, on the same day, Lee was acquitted in the retrial sentencing hearing for false statements under the Public Official Election Act held by the Criminal Division 2 of Suwon High Court (Presiding Judge Shim Dam).
The court stated, "Looking at the defendant's remarks during the debate, they were merely responses to questions from opposing candidates raising suspicions, and cannot be seen as acts of actively publicizing widely," and ruled, "Since no new evidence has been submitted after the Supreme Court ruling, the judgment is made in accordance with the binding force (the binding power that prevents arbitrary withdrawal or change of the Supreme Court ruling)."
Lee was accused of ordering the forced hospitalization of his elder brother in a psychiatric hospital in June 2012, during his tenure as mayor of Seongnam, by instructing the head of the public health center and a psychiatrist, and of making false statements during a TV debate before the 2018 local elections, claiming he never tried to forcibly hospitalize his elder brother.
Earlier, the first trial court acquitted him of all charges, but the second trial court found him guilty of making false statements during the debate related to the forced hospitalization of his elder brother and sentenced him to a fine of 3 million won.
However, in July, the Supreme Court overturned the lower court's ruling in the appeal trial and sent the case back to Suwon High Court with a verdict of not guilty.
On the 16th, Lee emphasized in a post on his Facebook, "Now, only the path of provincial administration remains for me," and stated, "I will change the desperate lives of ordinary people, faithfully guarantee the basic rights of members, and stand against inequality and unfairness. I will be strictly evaluated by the residents of the province based on the achievements and assessments I have made."
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