Lee Jae-myung Moves Toward Re-election Bid... Strengthening Defense Against Judicial Risks

All-Out Offensive Against 'Courts, Prosecution, and Media'
Representative Lee Resigns on 21st to Challenge for Re-election

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is likely to seek re-election. Inside the party, efforts to strengthen protection against judicial risks have been initiated. This is due to concerns that the judicial risks, which have followed him like a tag, could potentially become a last-minute obstacle to his re-election bid.

Last week, right after the prosecution indicted Lee without detention on charges of involvement in Ssangbangwool Group's remittance to North Korea, the Democratic Party has focused its efforts on responding to judicial risks. Leading with the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee, the party's special task force on political prosecution case fabrication, and the Supreme Council have each launched all-out offensives targeting the 'courts, prosecution, and media.'

Lee is accused of conspiring with Lee Hwa-young, former Deputy Governor for Peace of Gyeonggi Province, to have Kim Sung-tae, former chairman of Ssangbangwool Group, pay $5 million for the 'Hwanghae-do Smart Farm Support' project, which Gyeonggi Province had promised to pay to North Korea, from January to April 2019.

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is speaking at an emergency meeting held at the National Assembly on the 19th to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

First, the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee, held solely by the Democratic Party, has demanded the executive branch submit investigation and trial materials related to Deputy Governor Lee Hwa-young. This is to verify allegations that Chairman Kim Sung-tae and Deputy Governor Lee Hwa-young were coerced or threatened by the prosecution. Among the Democratic Party's judiciary committee members, Park Gyun-taek, a former prosecutor, is focusing on risk defense at the forefront. Along with Kim Ki-pyo, Yang Bu-nam, and Lee Geon-tae, he is known as one of the so-called 'Daejang-dong lawyers' and led the proposal of the 'North Korea Remittance Special Prosecutor Act' to have a special prosecutor investigate the prosecution's investigation process into the North Korea remittance allegations.

The Democratic Party's special task force on political prosecution case fabrication is also increasing pressure on the prosecution. The task force is reportedly considering impeachment motions against four current prosecutors: Eom Hee-jun and Kang Baek-shin, who investigated the Daejang-dong suspicion case; Park Sang-yong, suspected of coercing former Deputy Governor Lee Hwa-young in the illegal North Korea remittance case involving Ssangbangwool; and Kim Young-chul, related to the state manipulation special prosecutor.

The party's Supreme Council continues to emphasize the unfairness of the prosecution's additional indictments through the media daily. At the Supreme Council meeting the day before, Jang Kyung-tae stated, "The prosecution should not forget that there are many witnesses who can testify against fabrication and coercion," launching a daily media offensive. Meanwhile, Lee is expected to resign from his party leadership position on the 21st and declare his intention to seek re-election as party leader.