Tension Builds in the Opposition... Lee: "We Will Firmly Stand Against the Ruthless Prosecution"

Lee Jae-myung Attends 'Alone'... "Lawmakers Should Not Show Up"
Weekend Outdoor Protest Planned
Next Month's Extraordinary National Assembly to Discuss Minister Lee Sang-min's Censure

[Asia Economy Reporters Oh Ju-yeon and Park Joon-yi] Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, announced on the 30th that he would comply with the prosecution's request for re-summons regarding the allegations of preferential treatment in the Wirye and Daejang-dong development projects. Meanwhile, voices within the party are also emphasizing criticism of the one-sided prosecution investigation and the need for a party-level response.

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is talking with lawmaker Woo Won-shik at the plenary session held at the National Assembly on the 30th. Photo by Dongju Yoon doso7@

On the same day, Park Hong-geun, floor leader, said at a members' meeting held at the National Assembly in the afternoon, "I believe that Leader Lee Jae-myung cannot just keep going out whenever the prosecution calls him."

Park said, "Last Saturday, Leader Lee underwent over 12 hours of prosecution questioning. Afterwards, there was an additional summons request, and he expressed his thoughts and position through a press conference this morning," adding, "Leader Lee made a timely announcement that resonated with the public." He continued, "Isn't their (prosecution's) intention already decided? As floor leader, since Leader Lee said he would go to the prosecution, he can go once, but I think this should be the last appearance."

He then urged party members, "Members, please unite your hearts and join forces so that the prosecution cannot continue its ruthless tyranny."

Assemblyman Park Beom-gye pointed out the facts related to the Daejang-dong project one by one, reaffirming that Lee’s alleged 'breach of trust' cannot be established.

Park said, "The prosecution calculated the total profit from developing and selling the Daejang-dong site to be around 600 billion won, but when Seongnam City Development Corporation was designated as the project implementer in August 2015, could anyone have predicted that the land price would skyrocket by the time the development and sales were completed in 2021?" He explained, "From that perspective, the breach of trust argument cannot hold." He also pointed out that documents cited as evidence for breach of trust, such as the consortium guidelines and shareholder agreements, do not contain Lee’s approval, and that the indictment itself is based on statements that contain contradictions.

It is known that Leader Lee informed the assembly members about the investigation situation surrounding him at this meeting.

Oh Young-hwan, floor spokesperson, told reporters after the meeting, "After the meeting turned private, Leader Lee spoke about the investigation situation surrounding him, explaining that the prosecution had already concluded with a 'blanket' indictment, which is an abuse of prosecutorial power."

Oh added, "He shared his personal reflections on the unfairness of various situations, including last week’s investigation, and said he would resolutely confront this and inform the public in detail."

He also said, "He clearly expressed his intention to attend the summons, but also emphasized once again that no assembly member should attend the next summons to prevent misunderstandings or controversies that could arise from members accompanying him."

Meanwhile, the Democratic Party decided to discuss the disciplinary action against Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min at a party meeting on the 2nd of next month. Oh explained, "The opening ceremony of the February extraordinary session of the National Assembly is scheduled for the 2nd, and after the ceremony, a party meeting will be held to discuss various internal party issues, including the disciplinary action against Minister Lee." Regarding the schedule for the national report meeting, he said, "It was mentioned to be over the weekend, and once confirmed, we will promptly inform you."