Emphasizing the Necessity of Prosecution Reform
Opposition: "Ruling Party and Prosecution Must Reveal the Truth"
[Asia Economy Reporters Jeon Jinyoung and Lee Jungyoon] Regarding the death of Lee Mo, deputy chief of staff affiliated with the party leader's office and a close aide to Lee Nak-yeon, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, voices within the ruling party criticized the prosecution's excessive investigation as the cause and raised calls for prosecutorial reform. The People Power Party expressed condolences but pressured the ruling party and the prosecution to uncover the truth. This appears to be aimed at the conflict between the ruling party and the prosecution, who are at odds.
Lee Nak-yeon, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is attending the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 4th and delivering opening remarks. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@
Five-term senior Democratic Party lawmaker Seol Hoon said in a YTN radio interview on the morning of the 4th, in response to the question "Why did this situation arise?" that "The prosecution is cruelly and excessively digging into this situation," emphasizing again, "The form of the prosecution has not changed at all. It is the same as during President Roh Moo-hyun's era and now."
Seol said, "The prosecution's behavior has been the same from President Roh Moo-hyun's time to now, including the deputy chief of staff of Leader Lee." He added, "How has the prosecution conducted investigations that have resulted in a person's death? This is not the first time," and criticized, "Are you ignoring the prosecution's behavior? Why are you driving people to the brink of death?"
Former Blue House spokesperson Park Soo-hyun posted on his Facebook that morning, "I request the media. This should not be done in the face of the dignified death of a human being," and urged, "The article headline was written as 'Optimus Suspicion,' which is an intentional distortion trying to involve Leader Lee with Optimus. I request an immediate correction."
The Democratic Party fell into a somber mood. Deputy Chief Lee was a closest aide who had been connected with Leader Lee since he was a member of the National Assembly for Jeollanam-do and had shared his political life.
Oh Young-hoon, secretary-general of the party leader's office, said in a statement that Leader Lee "cannot suppress his grief. He does not know how to comfort the bereaved family." Oh said, "The deceased made a last call to his wife during a break for dinner while being summoned for investigation on the 2nd and then lost contact," adding, "He had been working as deputy chief of staff in the party leader's office since September and had been sincerely cooperating with the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office's summons investigation recently." He added, "We pray for the deceased's soul and offer deep condolences to the bereaved family."
Lawmaker Woo Sang-ho said in an interview with CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' that morning, "No one can accurately grasp the details, so there is much speculation about what happened. The overall atmosphere in the party is somewhat gloomy," and "When one of the aides serving the party leader makes such an extreme choice, the party's mood becomes depressed," conveying the sentiment.
The leadership, including Leader Lee, made no mention of the incident at official events on the 4th. However, they repeatedly emphasized the necessity of prosecutorial reform. Leader Lee said at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly that morning, without mentioning Deputy Chief Lee, "The prosecution cannot be exempted from democratic control. This time, we will definitely launch the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Office (HICO) to institutionalize minimum democratic control over the prosecution." Floor leader Kim Tae-nyeon also raised his voice, saying, "The reform of power institutions has passed the 90% mark," and "We will not relax our vigilance until the end and will complete the reform legislation by the 9th."
The People Power Party said regarding the extreme choice made by Leader Lee's close aide, "We hope the Democratic Party and the prosecution, as the parties involved, clarify why such an unfortunate event occurred."
People Power Party spokesperson Bae Jun-young said in a verbal statement that day, "There is inevitably public suspicion about the reasons why such a tragedy occurred." He added, "Yesterday, the prosecution stated that the deceased was under investigation and that this tragedy happened before the resumed investigation," urging, "The Democratic Party and the prosecution should clearly and transparently disclose the content and procedures to satisfy the public." He added, "Revealing the truth in detail is the responsibility of those left behind," and "We pray for the deceased's soul and extend deep condolences to the bereaved family."
Floor leader Joo said about Deputy Chief Lee, who made an extreme choice the previous day, "I pray for the deceased's soul and offer condolences to Leader Lee, who must be very unsettled," adding, "Regarding the unfortunate situation that occurred during the investigation related to the Optimus fund, the circumstances need further investigation, but I hope the situation is well managed first."
The police confirmed that no signs of homicide were found related to Deputy Chief Lee. The Seoul Seocho Police Station announced that the on-site investigation of the building near the Seoul Central District Court, where Deputy Chief Lee's body was found, revealed no signs of homicide. At the scene, Deputy Chief Lee's mobile phone, wallet, and notebook were found, but no suicide note was discovered. It was reported that he left a message saying "I'm sorry" to his family before his death. A police official said regarding the on-site investigation results, "We are currently coordinating with the bereaved family and the prosecution on whether to conduct an autopsy."
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