People Power Party Candidate Group "Changer Belt"
Urges Ambassador Lee Jong-sup to Cooperate with Investigation
Calls on Presidential Office to Handle the Matter in Line with Public Expectations
Candidates running in the April 10 general election under the People Power Party, who are former members of the Democratic Party, have urged former Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup to voluntarily return to Korea and cooperate with the investigation into the alleged external pressure on the probe into the death of a Marine.
On March 16, nine candidates, including Ham Unkyung (Mapo-eul, Seoul) and Choi Wonsik (Gyeyang-gap, Incheon), who are part of the People Power Party candidate group "Changer Belt," issued a statement to this effect.
This group is composed of People Power Party general election candidates who were formerly affiliated with the Democratic Party. Their main slogans are "ending the activist faction" and "anti-Lee Jaemyung." They emphasized, "We have gained a rational and flexible sense of balance by experiencing both the progressive and conservative camps."
In addition to Ham Unkyung and Choi Wonsik, the group includes Kim Yoonsik (Siheung-eul, Gyeonggi), Cho Gwanghan (Namyangju-byeong), Lim Jaehoon (Dongan-gap, Anyang), Lee Hyunwoong (Bupyeong-eul), Oh Kyunghoon (Yangcheon-eul, Seoul), Yoo Jongpil (Gwanak-gap), and Kim Yoon (Seo-gu-eul, Gwangju)-all of whom were once members of the Democratic Party.
They stated, "Ambassador Lee Jong-sup is a key suspect in the death of the Marine," and added, "He has been investigated as an accused by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), and a travel ban was even imposed on him."
They further emphasized, "Nevertheless, many citizens have expressed concern and suspicion over the lifting of the travel ban and the forced appointment of Lee as ambassador."
They asserted, "This issue is not a matter of partisan politics. It concerns the dignity of the Republic of Korea, which values liberal democratic order and the rule of law. It also contradicts the principles of state management under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, which was launched under the banner of fairness and common sense."
They added, "We could undermine our own justification, given that we have previously criticized the criminal group Democratic Party for their double standards."
They urged, "Ambassador Lee must voluntarily return to Korea without delay and comply with the CIO investigation," and called on the presidential office and the administration to "handle this matter in a way that meets public expectations."
They also stated, "Han Donghoon, the interim leader, and the party leadership should reaffirm their usual philosophy and conviction that 'no one is above the law,' and turn this crisis into an opportunity to reverse the current difficult election situation."
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