Yeo: "Lee Jae-myung had it all planned... must stop hunger strike used to obstruct investigation"

Yoon Jae-ok "Reason for Prosecutor Investigation Is Not Being a Loser but a Criminal Suspect"
Kim Byung-min "Avoiding Until the End Using Health Deterioration as an Excuse, Truly Deserving of 'Yeouido Rule Breaker'"
Kang Dae-sik "Suspect Disguises as Democratic Fighter... Trying to Become a 'Legal Trickster'"

On the 11th, the People Power Party criticized Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, saying he is fasting to avoid prosecution by the prosecution.

Yoon Jae-ok, floor leader of the People Power Party, said at a floor strategy meeting held at the National Assembly that "Lee Jae-myung, who appeared before the prosecution last Saturday as a suspect in the Ssangbangwool illegal remittance to North Korea case, was uncooperative throughout the investigation, refusing even to sign the statement, claiming that his testimony was omitted from the record," adding, "It appears to be a trick to delay the request for an arrest warrant by exploiting the fact that if a suspect does not sign the statement, it cannot be accepted as evidence."

Kim Ki-hyun, the leader of the People Power Party, is speaking at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 11th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Yoon said, "Then, citing health reasons, he first proposed to the prosecution that he would appear again on the 12th and ended the investigation early. However, the Democratic Party claims that the prosecution deliberately delayed the investigation process to embarrass Lee and unilaterally notified him of an additional summons," adding, "The prosecution cannot help but feel burdened to summon and investigate the opposition leader who is fasting, even having an ambulance on standby, and knowing that the public is watching closely, there is no way they would delay or conduct the investigation in a way that requires additional summons."

He continued, "At this point, it is impossible to understand this other than as an excuse to reverse the waiver of immunity from arrest," and said, "If Lee’s proud attitude, as promised, is to gain an advantageous position through fasting before the prosecution investigation, to disguise his shameful charges by cosplaying as a democratic fighter, and to have party members insult the judicial system, it seems far from what the public would understand."

He added, "He acted like the protagonist of a tragedy, but this is not something an ordinary criminal suspect could even dream of enjoying as a special privilege," emphasizing, "Above all, it must be made clear that the reason he is under prosecution investigation is not because he is a loser but because he is a criminal suspect."

Kim Ki-hyun, the leader of the People Power Party, is speaking at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 11th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Kim Byung-min, Supreme Council member, also said at the meeting, "There was a plan behind Lee’s sudden fasting," and criticized, "On the 10th day of fasting, during the summons investigation accompanied by an ambulance, Lee refused to sign the truthful statement and left," adding, "Seeing Lee ultimately avoid prosecution by using health deterioration due to fasting as an excuse, he seems worthy of the nickname 'Cheater of Yeouido'."

Kang Dae-sik, Supreme Council member, said, "The suspect disguised himself as a democratic fighter and appeared before the prosecution for the fifth time," and pointed out, "Lee had declared he would be investigated confidently, but it was just an empty promise." He added, "He is turning himself into a victim with all sorts of labels such as political prosecution and elimination of political opponents," and sarcastically said, "The public watching the emperor-style investigation abusing parliamentary privileges and opposition leader status feels not sympathy but absurdity, and they are advising Lee, who only gives irrelevant answers during the prosecution investigation, to relearn Hangul."

Kang added, "If he is truly innocent as he claims, why does he try to become a 'legal trickster' by fasting without any justification instead of undergoing a fair investigation?"