Lee Jun-seok "Doing Politics in Court" vs People Power Party "No Qualification for Injunction"

Intense Court Battle at the 3rd to 5th Injunction Hearing Dates

Former People Power Party leader Lee Jun-seok is attending the hearing for the injunction to suspend the effectiveness of the People Power Party's party rules at the Seoul Southern District Court in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, on the 28th. Photo by National Assembly Press Photographers Group

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Byung-don] Former leader Lee Jun-seok and the People Power Party engaged in a fierce legal battle lasting over an hour and a half.

The Civil Division 51 of the Seoul Southern District Court (Chief Presiding Judge Hwang Jeong-su) held a hearing on the injunction filed by former leader Lee against the People Power Party starting at 11 a.m. on the 28th.

At the trial, the court examined the 3rd to 5th injunctions, including ▲ suspension of the effectiveness of the nationwide committee's amendment to the party constitution regarding the 'emergency situation' (3rd) ▲ suspension of the execution of duties of Emergency Response Committee Chairman Jeong Jin-seok (4th) ▲ suspension of the execution of duties of six emergency committee members (5th).

Former leader Lee Jun-seok attended in person again as the creditor, while on the debtor side, Jeon Ju-hye and Kim Jong-hyeok, newly appointed emergency committee members from the Jeong Jin-seok emergency committee, appeared.

During the trial, emergency committee member Jeon Ju-hye stated, "Currently, the People Power Party is in a 'dilemma' where the party is paralyzed," adding, "The bridge to return to the Supreme Council has already been burned." Emergency committee member Kim Jong-hyeok also argued, "The Ethics Committee's decision to suspend Lee's party membership was not made under the direction of the party leadership or the presidential office," and "If the injunction is granted, the ruling party will fall into a state of functional suspension, and significant national governance confusion is expected."

In response, former leader Lee said, "'Dismiss it because the party will fall into an irrecoverable state' is itself a political statement," and criticized, "This should have been done inside the party, not at the court scene; everything has been completely reversed." He further requested the court, "We are doing politics in the courtroom, and I ask the court to make a strict judgment on those who caused this incident through the Ethics Committee and forced measures in the political arena."

Additionally, former leader Lee added, "Despite the presiding judge writing a clear judgment, the continued pretense of not understanding it has actually created the current situation," and "Therefore, it is necessary now to make them understand."

On the 28th, Jeon Ju-hye, a member of the People Power Party, appeared at the Seoul Southern District Court in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, to argue in the provisional injunction hearing related to the suspension of Jung Jin-seok's emergency committee duties filed by former leader Lee Jun-seok. Photo by the National Assembly Press Corps

The key issue in the hearing was that after the court granted the injunction suspending effectiveness filed by former leader Lee on the 26th of last month, the People Power Party held a nationwide committee meeting on the 5th and amended the party constitution to specify conditions for establishing an emergency committee, such as the resignation or vacancy of four or more Supreme Council members, defining the 'emergency situation.' Based on this nationwide committee decision, the People Power Party launched the 'Jeong Jin-seok Emergency Committee' on the 8th, appointing National Assembly Deputy Speaker Jeong Jin-seok as the emergency committee chairman.

If the court grants the related injunctions after the hearing, the Jeong Jin-seok emergency committee system will also be suspended.

After the hearing, former leader Lee met with reporters and said, "As in the previous hearing, we fiercely contested today," and added, "I think this hearing showed a somewhat superstitious belief that everything would go well if only Lee Jun-seok were removed."

On the other hand, the former emergency committee member said, "From our position as defendants, we logically explained that former leader Lee does not have the qualification to file the injunction," and added, "The party has become very chaotic due to the injunction process, and we need an opportunity to escape the injunction risk and focus on national governance."