""Expressing Regret Over Prosecutor-Initiated Media Play""
[Asia Economy reporters Naju-seok and Park Joon-yi] Jeong Seong-ho, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, criticized the Ministry of Justice and the prosecution for partially disclosing the content of his visit to Jeong Jin-sang, former Chief of Political Coordination at the Democratic Party representative office, and Kim Yong, former Deputy Director of the Democratic Research Institute, who are currently incarcerated. He argued that there is a strong intention to link the possibility of evidence destruction amid the situation where a detention warrant request for Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party leader, is being raised.
On the 14th, Jeong held a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Office and said, "I express regret over the prosecution-driven media play," adding, "I did visit former Deputy Director Kim and former Chief Jeong due to public and private connections. However, since they were indicted and detained without clear evidence during the presidential election process, the purpose was nothing more or less than to comfort and encourage them."
He stated, "All visits were conducted through proper legal procedures, and conversations took place under the supervision of correctional officers," adding, "We had conversations for encouragement, and although I gave general advice based on my past experience as a lawyer to prepare thoroughly for the trial, turning a situation with no problems into an issue is nothing but a petty trick by the Ministry of Justice and prosecution, who rely on the power of authority and public opinion warfare before the truth is revealed in court."
Jeong said, "I visited former Director Kim in December and former Chief Jeong before Lunar New Year because he was indicted," and claimed, "Now, by extracting the content of the visit, the intention is to give the impression that they are requesting a detention warrant for Lee Jae-myung and that I, Jeong Seong-ho, am trying to destroy evidence or persuade them otherwise." He introduced, "Both have already been indicted and are awaiting trial, so it is not a stage for me to persuade them. Since no one else visited due to concerns about being watched, I went out of loyalty and recognition because we had suffered together."
Regarding reports mentioning alibis, Jeong said, "Most of what was discussed during the visit was about how to prepare for the trial. Since they claim innocence, I said they need an alibi, that is, proof of absence at the scene," adding, "When they said they could not remember past events, I told them to calmly recall. The defendant must prepare more thoroughly than the defense attorney."
When asked if he had discussed the visit with Lee Jae-myung beforehand, he said, "Lee had no knowledge at all," and added, "If the prosecution requests voluntary submission, I can submit call records."
Regarding the mention of "not to be shaken in mind," he said, "Since they are claiming innocence, it was a natural expression telling them to be firm and respond," adding, "If you look at the overall context, it was about preparing well for the trial." Jeong also said he would request whether the notes taken by the correctional officer during the visit could be disclosed "as they were written."
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