‘Disqualification Sentence’ Eui-joo Lee, Justice Party Floor Leader, “Very Regretful... Will Appeal”

'Election Law Violation' Lee Eun-ju, Justice Party Floor Leader, Sentenced to Probation with Imprisonment Suspended... Disqualification from Election

Lee Eun-ju, the floor leader of the Justice Party, is attending the sentencing trial for election law violation charges held at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul on the 7th. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] Lee Eun-joo, the floor leader of the Justice Party, expressed her intention to appeal after receiving a first-instance sentence equivalent to disqualification from election on charges including violation of the Public Official Election Act.

After the first-instance ruling on the 7th, Floor Leader Lee released a statement saying, "I will neither be disappointed nor back down," and emphasized, "I will do my best to fight and clarify so that justice can be upheld as justice in the appeal trial." She cited the first-instance judgment on violations of the Political Funds Act regarding fundraising for activity expenses, and the violation of the Public Official Election Act by judging meals with activity expenses or seniors paying for meals at social gatherings as donation acts.

Floor Leader Lee stated, "Not only was the factual relationship misjudged and the law misapplied, but there was also excessive state penal intervention in the autonomous sphere of citizens' lives," and added, "Freedom in citizens' lives contradicts the fundamental principles of democracy." She further argued, "The part of the election law violation that judged paying activity expenses to staff for internal party special committee activities unrelated to the election as bribery is a clear misjudgment of facts and misapplication of the law."

She also said, "The violation of the election law for establishing an election office is related to the unconstitutional legal provisions of the current law that do not allow election offices for proportional representation candidates despite internal party primaries being held, regardless of whether the fact is recognized." Additionally, she stated, "Regarding this, I expect a wise decision from the Constitutional Court on the constitutional complaints related to election offices and support committees raised during the first-instance process."

Floor Leader Lee said, "I was caught up in legal disputes over matters that occurred during the proportional representation primary process, causing concern and worry to the party and fellow workers," and added, "I wanted it to be corrected fairly, but the desired outcome did not come." Nevertheless, she pledged, "I will fight more fiercely to prove the legitimacy of democracy involving workers," and promised, "As always, I will never stop politics for labor citizens."