Lee, Special Advisor to the Leader of the Democratic Party of Korea
Involved in 'Lee Jong-kwon Advisory Death'... 5 Years Imprisonment
Jeong Jeong-chan, special advisor to the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) involved in the 'civilian torture death' case, has withdrawn from running in the general election.
On the 28th, Jeong held a press conference at the briefing room of the Jeonnam Provincial Council and announced, "I am withdrawing from the Democratic Party's preliminary candidate list for the 22nd National Assembly election." He added, "I voluntarily withdrew to avoid burdening the Democratic Party and Leader Lee Jae-myung," and said, "I will bury my grievances and frustrations in my heart."
Jeong had been preparing to run for the Haenam-Wando-Jindo constituency ahead of next year's general election. Initially, the Democratic Party had deemed him eligible during the preliminary candidate screening. However, as controversy over his involvement in the torture death case grew, a re-evaluation was conducted, resulting in a reversal to ineligibility. In response, he filed an objection citing that he was neither present at the assault scene nor did he order the assault, and that he was specially pardoned and reinstated in 2002, but later withdrew the objection.
Jeong was arrested and indicted in connection with the 'Lee Jong-kwon torture death case' that occurred at Chonnam National University in 1997, when he was the president of the Gwangju-Jeonnam University Student Council Federation (Namchongryeon) and the student council president of Chosun University, and was sentenced to five years in prison. He claimed, "As the person responsible for the student movement at the time, I still live with a lifelong feeling of remorse toward the victims and their bereaved families," and added, "Moreover, I have lived as a victim of coercive investigations by the public security authorities."
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