"Bright Red Lies", "Absolutely Not" Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye's 'Bizarre Fate' [Han Seung-gon's Political Notebook]

Lee Myung-bak "Live honestly and confidently... Who can cast a stone at me?"
Park Geun-hye "Is it okay to be corrupt as long as the economy is revived? Absolutely not"

Former President Lee Myung-bak dismissed allegations surrounding him as "blatant lies" during a speech at the Grand National Party (now People Power Party) presidential candidate rally on August 14, 2007. Photo by SBS from the program "I Want to Know That" capture.

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] With former President Lee Myung-bak (79) sentenced to 17 years in prison for embezzlement and bribery involving hundreds of billions of won, both former presidents, including Park Geun-hye, are now confined to solitary cells. The two former presidents, whose fates seem ironically intertwined, fiercely competed in the 2007 Grand National Party (now People Power Party) presidential primary. At that time, the two candidates exchanged heated words over issues such as the Dogok-dang land and the BBK stock manipulation case.

During a joint speech in Seoul on August 17 of that year, Park Geun-hye, a Grand National Party presidential primary candidate, intensified her attack on former President Lee by saying, "Whose land is the Dogok-dong land? The prosecution already knows everything. So why are they covering it up?"

Regarding suspicions about the true ownership of the Dogok-dong land, candidate Lee dismissed them as "negative campaigning," asserting, "What about the Dogok-dong land? What about BBK? These are blatant lies, everyone!" He claimed that the related allegations had nothing to do with him.

He also raised his voice, saying, "No one can block my path. That is because I have lived honestly and with dignity." He further questioned, "Who can cast stones at me?"

Former President Lee Myung-bak (left) and Former President Park Geun-hye (right). Photo by Yonhap News

Former President Park repeatedly targeted former President Lee, criticizing, "If a leader does not abide by the law and does not fulfill even the duties as a citizen, how can policies be implemented based on the trust of the people?" She added, "How can a president who does not obey the law tell the people to obey the law?" She also emphasized, "Is it okay to be corrupt as long as the economy is revived? Absolutely not."

However, the substance of the suspicions surrounding candidate Lee, such as the Dogok-dang land and BBK, was never revealed, and the two candidates each won the presidential election in turn, becoming successive presidents.

Now, 13 years after that primary, the two former presidents have both ended up confined to solitary cells due to the allegations that surfaced during the primary. Former President Lee faced suspicions of being the true owner of DAS, while former President Park was implicated in the state affairs manipulation scandal involving Choi Seo-won (Choi Soon-sil), placing them in the same situation.

Former President Park Geun-hye / Yonhap News

On March 10, 2017, the Constitutional Court held a ruling session on the impeachment trial of former President Park Geun-hye and unanimously decided by all eight justices to dismiss her from office.

Acting Chief Justice Lee Jung-mi confirmed the order to "dismiss the respondent President Park Geun-hye" during the impeachment ruling. This was the first dismissal of a sitting president in the history of the Republic of Korea’s constitutional system, coming 92 days after the National Assembly passed the impeachment motion on December 9, 2016, and submitted it to the Constitutional Court.

Subsequently, on July 10 of last year, the Seoul High Court Criminal Division 6 (Presiding Judges Oh Seok-jun, Lee Jung-hwan, and Jung Soo-jin) sentenced former President Park to five years in prison for bribery under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes, and 15 years in prison plus a fine of 18 billion won for other charges. A confiscation order of 3.5 billion won was also imposed.

Former President Lee Myung-bak, who was sentenced to 17 years in prison on the 29th by the Supreme Court for charges including embezzlement of company funds and bribery, is entering Seoul National University Hospital in Jongno-gu on the morning of the 30th for medical treatment. Photo by Yonhap News

In the case of former President Lee Myung-bak, on the 29th of last month, the Supreme Court confirmed his 17-year prison sentence, and he was re-incarcerated at Seoul Eastern Detention Center on the afternoon of the 2nd.

Except for one year served during previous investigations and trials, he must serve the remaining 16 years. Former President Lee is 80 years old this year and will be eligible for release in the winter of 2036, when he will be 96 years old.

Meanwhile, the solitary cell where former President Lee is held at Seoul Eastern Detention Center measures 10.13 square meters (3.06 pyeong) in living area. It includes a bathroom of 2.94 square meters (0.89 pyeong), making the total size just over 4 pyeong. The cell is equipped with a television, mirror, bedding such as blankets and mattress, a combined dining table and desk, locker, sink, and cleaning supplies. It is slightly larger than the solitary cell (10.08 square meters, 3.04 pyeong) used by former President Park Geun-hye at the Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province.