Democratic Party: "Prosecutors' Forced Indictment... 'Lee Jae-myung Public Official Election Law Trial' Does Not Meet Constituent Elements"

At the Party's Prosecution Dictatorship Countermeasures Committee Meeting
Lee Yong-woo: "Yoon-Lee Applied Double Standards"
Lee Geon-tae: "Opinions and Judgments Should Not Be Punished"

The Democratic Party's Committee for Countermeasures Against Prosecutorial Dictatorship (Geomdokwi) held a meeting at the National Assembly on the morning of the 20th. This was the second meeting following its launch last week. Since this day was when Representative Lee Jae-myung faced the sentencing hearing for charges of violating the Public Official Election Act, there is analysis that the Democratic Party is mounting an all-out response.

Han Jun-ho, the chairperson of Geomdokwi and a second-term lawmaker representing Goyang-si Eul, Gyeonggi Province, stated at the meeting, "The prosecution's distortion of cases and forced indictments are truly serious," adding, "The trial of Representative Lee for violating the Public Official Election Act is an unreasonable indictment with an obvious political motive to anyone." He further announced that when the prosecution determines the sentencing recommendation for Representative Lee at the sentencing hearing that day, Geomdokwi would issue a separate stance. Representative Lee is accused of false statement publication for saying he did not know the late Kim Moon-gi during his 2021 presidential candidacy and for claiming that the change of land use of the Korean Food Research Institute site in Baekhyeon-dong, Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi Province was due to being 'threatened by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.'

Han Junho, chairman of the Democratic Party's Prosecution Dictatorship Countermeasures Committee, is speaking at a meeting held at the National Assembly on the morning of the 20th. Photo by Oh Ji-eun joy@

Representative Lee is accused of publishing false information with the intent to win during his 2021 presidential candidacy. In an interview during the presidential election period, he said he did not know the late Kim Moon-gi, former Head of Development Division 1 at Seongnam Urban Development Corporation, "while serving as mayor." Regarding the suspicion that the change of land use of the Korean Food Research Institute site in Baekhyeon-dong, Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi Province was a 'special favor,' he stated that he was "instructed by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and threatened with accusations of dereliction of duty if he did not comply." The prosecution considers these statements to be false.

Lee Yong-woo, a first-term lawmaker representing Seo-gu Eul, Incheon, who serves as the Democratic Party's legal committee chair and a member of Geomdokwi, emphasized that different legal interpretations are being applied to Representative Lee Jae-myung and President Yoon Seok-youl. He pointed out, "The prosecution dismissed the case against President Yoon, who claimed no personal relationship with Kim Man-bae, but indicted Representative Lee, who said he did not know the late Kim Moon-gi," criticizing this as a double standard. He added, "Such prosecutorial behavior is no different from wielding the law as a weapon of violence," and said, "It is now time for a completely different reform of the prosecution."

Lee Geon-tae, a first-term lawmaker representing Bucheon-si Byeong, Gyeonggi Province, argued, "Representative Lee's feeling of being threatened regarding the request for the land use change in Baekhyeon-dong is an opinion or evaluation, not a fact." He said, "The crime of false statement publication under the Public Official Election Act punishes lies about facts, not opinions or judgments," and added, "There are countless precedents stating that opinions are not punishable and thus result in acquittal."