Hong Joon-pyo: "Lee Jae-myung's tenacity like weeds is truly remarkable"

"Not mocking, just feeling sorry as a fellow politician"
"Really pitiful... Hope you navigate through well"

Hong Joon-pyo, Mayor of Daegu, evaluated Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, saying, "Perhaps because he has lived a life with the vitality of a weed, he possesses truly remarkable mental strength."

On the 27th, Mayor Hong referred to the narrow rejection of the motion to arrest Lee at the National Assembly plenary session, stating, "There were as many as 31 dissenting votes from the Democratic Party, resulting in a surprising outcome where the number of votes in favor was just one more."

On that day, 297 lawmakers from both ruling and opposition parties participated in the vote, with 139 in favor, 138 against, 11 invalid votes, and 9 abstentions, leading to the motion's rejection. The motion to arrest requires a majority of the total members of the National Assembly present, with at least 149 votes in favor to pass.

Hong Joon-pyo, Mayor of Daegu. [Photo by Yonhap News]

Mayor Hong said, "There are still many ongoing investigations, but if the prosecution initially indicts without detention in this case, the debate over Lee's resignation as party leader according to the Democratic Party's party rules will intensify. If the prosecution requests a second arrest warrant, the Democratic Party's burden will double," adding, "If the motion to arrest is voted on again then, it will be truly difficult to predict where the Democratic Party's choice will go."

He continued, "Anyway, Lee Jae-myung's mental strength is truly remarkable," and said, "Soon, with trials for election law violations, the Daejang-dong case, and the Seongnam FC case beginning, there will likely be more days attending court than the National Assembly. Ahead of the general election, where will the breakthrough for the Democratic Party, trapped in the Lee Jae-myung quagmire, come from?"

He added, "This is not sarcasm, but as a fellow politician walking through the same era, it is truly pitiful to see. I hope he navigates through well."