Democrats: "Political prosecutors framing opposition leader as perjury instigator with fabricated recordings"

The Democratic Party of Korea criticized on the 30th the prosecution's demand for a 3-year prison sentence against Representative Lee Jae-myung on charges of suborning perjury, saying, "It is utterly shameless to accuse the opposition party leader of being a perjury instigator based on a single fabricated recording."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Chief Spokesperson Cho Seung-rae said at a briefing that day, "The prosecution claims Lee's suborning of perjury based on an excerpted and edited transcript, but the full transcript's disclosure revealed that the prosecution's claims have no basis."

Cho added, "The full transcript includes Lee's statements such as 'Please recall and tell the truth' and 'There is no need to talk about what you did not see.' Is the prosecution planning to accuse even the request not to commit perjury as suborning perjury?" he questioned.

He continued, "The prosecution conducted investigations and prosecutions based on an enforcement decree that is illegal and invalid, exceeding the scope of legal delegation," and pointed out, "The prosecution, which always cries out for judicial justice, has violated judicial justice by carrying out illegal indictments."

He emphasized, "We strongly condemn the deplorable behavior of the political prosecution, blinded by the desire to eliminate political opponents, recklessly prosecuting based on fabricated recordings," and added, "We expect the court to judge the truth revealed in the full transcript as it is and deliver a just verdict."

The Democratic Party's Committee Against Prosecutorial Dictatorship also criticized at a press conference, saying, "The political prosecution fabricated the indictment with devilish editing," and "They are solely focused on 'killing Lee Jae-myung,' misleading the truth with cleverly edited and excerpted transcripts."

The committee stated, "This case involves Representative Lee suffering unjust damage caused by the media colluding with corrupt power during his 2002 citizen activist efforts to expose the 'Bundang Parkview preferential sale corruption case,'" and added, "We hope the court sternly reprimands the political prosecution that deliberately deleted most statements contradicting suborning perjury to fabricate the indictment and repeatedly conducted illegal and unfair investigations."

Former Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum wrote on Facebook, "The prosecution's rampage continues. Bulletproof protection for Mrs. Kim Gun-hee, but bullets for the opposition leader and former president," and added, "Three years of prosecution, they should fear the people."