Yeo: "Lee Jae-myung a 'criminal suspect'... Is this the time for a press conference?"

Intense Criticism Over Lee's Press Conference on the 12th
"It's Not the Time for the President to Meet a Crime Suspect"

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-won] On the 12th, the People Power Party launched a fierce attack on Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party, regarding his New Year's press conference, questioning, "Is this the right time to hold a press conference?"

Jung Jin-seok, the emergency committee chairman of the People Power Party, met with reporters after Lee's press conference and said, "A person at the center of national suspicions held a press conference leisurely without explaining his corruption allegations, despite several associates around him having died and close aides being on trial, without any apology or reflection."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Chairman Jung added, "I hope they stop obstructing and hindering, and cooperate so that the Yoon Seok-yeol government, chosen by the people, can work," and said, "There are talks about a meeting with the president, but I think it is not the time for the president to meet with a criminal suspect."

Regarding constitutional amendments such as the 'four-year single-term presidency' proposed by Lee and 'electoral system reform,' he dismissed them, saying, "Issues like power structure reform and constitutional amendments should be discussed by the Special Committee on Political Reform," and "It is proper to observe the discussions of the Special Committee on Political Reform first."

Kim Mi-ae, the floor spokesperson, also criticized in a briefing, "Lee's New Year's press conference was a desperate shield show of a mere criminal suspect, lacking the dignity of a leader of a major opposition party and a member of the National Assembly," and pointed out Lee's judicial risks, saying, "What kind of New Year's press conference is this when personal criminal allegations such as Seongnam FC, Daejang-dong and Baekhyeon-dong, and the suspicion of lawyer fee payments by Ssangbangwool have not been explained to the public?"

Kim further said regarding Lee's mention of basic income and 'basic society,' "Before talking about 'basic society,' I hope the Democratic Party is restored from Lee Jae-myung's shielded faction to a 'basic public party.'"

Senior spokesperson Yang Geum-hee also said, "The typical populist slogan of Lee Jae-myung, 'basic society,' has resurfaced again," and added, "It is clear that astronomical financial resources will be required and the burden will be passed on to future generations." Regarding the '30 trillion won-scale emergency livelihood plan' mentioned by Lee, she criticized, "There was no realistic plan for securing funds anywhere, and they were only busy listing the need for 'massive finances' irresponsibly," and said, "It is just a threat that the government should figure out the funding for Lee Jae-myung-style populism."