[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Regarding the close aide of Lee Nak-yeon, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, who was involved in the Optimus scandal and made an extreme choice, Democratic Party lawmaker Seol Hoon pointed out that "the prosecution is cruelly and excessively digging into this situation." In response, People Power Party lawmaker Hong Moon-pyo warned against overinterpretation, saying, "It is just speculation and prediction."
On the morning of the 4th, Seol appeared on YTN Radio's 'Hwang Bo-seon's Start of the Morning' and said, "The behavior of the prosecution has been flowing in the same form from the time of President Roh Moo-hyun to Lee's Deputy Chief of Staff Lee."
He said, "The prosecution is truly cruel and excessively digging into this situation," adding, "The prosecution's behavior has not changed at all, whether it was during President Roh Moo-hyun's era or now."
In response, lawmaker Hong said, "The circumstances reported in the media so far suggest that the Optimus case is deeply involved and has affected the leader, but it is impossible that the prosecution's actions, as Seol said, led to that person’s death." He pointed out, "No matter how much distrust the prosecution faces, is there anyone in the Democratic Party who knows more about the clearly revealed Optimus case? Since the leader remains silent on this, we have no way of knowing."
He added, "Other than the fact that a close aide of the leader was involved in the huge fraud case called Optimus and made such an extreme choice, the rest is prediction and speculation," and said, "It is not right to say that this person died because of the prosecution in this way."
In response, lawmaker Seol rebutted, "It is not the Optimus case, but about renting a copier, for which it was agreed to pay 110,000 won per month, but this was not properly recorded. That is why this situation arose."
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