"Expecting Stricter Standards to Be Applied to the Moon Administration and the Democratic Party as Well"
Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential primary candidate and Governor of Gyeonggi Province, is answering questions from reporters after visiting a single mother facility in Nam-gu, Gwangju on the morning of the 18th. 2021.9.18 [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate and Governor of Gyeonggi Province, refuted the controversy surrounding the Daejang-dong development project in Seongnam City by calling it "a construction corruption and People Power Party (Saenuri Party) gate," and stated, "I firmly declare that I have not received even 1 won." In response, Lee Jun-seok, leader of the People Power Party, countered, "If that logic is applied, former President Park Geun-hye never had even 1 won deposited in her bank account," adding, "It is not important whether 1 won was deposited into Governor Lee Jae-myung's account."
On the afternoon of the 18th, after visiting a facility for unmarried mothers in Nam-gu, Gwangju, Governor Lee met with reporters and explained, "There was an illicit collusion between construction corruption forces and the People Power Party that was hidden underground and has now reappeared with a new face. After former President Lee Myung-bak stated that the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) should not engage in projects that compete with the private sector, certain business operators strangely raised hundreds of billions of won in funds to purchase land in the Daejang-dong area. Subsequently, Shin Young-soo, a member of the National Assembly from the People Power Party (formerly Saenuri Party) and part of the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee, pressured LH to abandon the project."
He continued, "There is suspicion created to attack me by saying that Lee Jae-myung, the lawyer, and Lee Jae-myung, the mayor of Seongnam, could not have possibly taken a single penny from such a massive profit project. No matter how chaotic politics is and how little information the public has, this should not happen," emphasizing, "I firmly declare that I have not received even 1 won."
In response, Lee Jun-seok posted on Facebook, "If that logic is applied, former President Park Geun-hye never had even 1 won deposited in her bank account," pointing out, "It is not important whether 1 won was deposited into Governor Lee Jae-myung's account." He referred to the situation of former President Park, who was convicted in the so-called 'state manipulation scandal.' During her presidency, Park was sentenced to prison for bribery charges, including forcing Samsung and Lotte groups to donate to the 'K-Sports Foundation' and 'Gifted Center' among others.
Lee Jun-seok added, "The reason I accepted that the impeachment was justified is because I hope that a stricter standard will be applied to Moon Jae-in's government and Democratic Party figures in the future."
Hong Joon-pyo, a People Power Party presidential candidate, also wrote on Facebook, "No matter how hard you try to blame the People Power Party for the Hwacheon Daeyu Daejang-dong corruption, the person who led and promoted that development corruption is you," expressing, "I am outraged that such power corruption is rampant."
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