"Quite Different from the Situation 8 Years Ago"
"A Unique Deja Vu Will Unfold"
Professor Sangdon Lee, an emeritus professor at Chung-Ang University Law School and a former member of the 20th National Assembly, recently analyzed the political claim that the situation of President Yoon Seok-yeol, following the leaked recordings, resembles the period just before Park Geun-hye's impeachment. He stated, "The current stance of the People Power Party, which is thoroughly defending, is completely different from eight years ago."
On the 2nd, through Facebook, Professor Lee said, "There is talk that listening to President Yoon Seok-yeol's voice recordings feels like watching JTBC's tablet PC footage from the fall of 2016. Since it is unknown how many documents Myung Taekyun will reveal in the future, it is not possible to compare the current situation with that of eight years ago at this stage, but I think the situation now is quite different from back then."
"When JTBC reported the tablet PC video on October 24, 2016, the next afternoon President Park Geun-hye issued a public apology and sought understanding. Candlelight protests began a few days later. There is also discussion about what might have happened if Park had not apologized and had delayed. Many believe that Park's hasty apology actually intensified the situation," he said. "Park Geun-hye was very reluctant to apologize. She was extremely averse to the existence of a person named Choi Soon-sil coming to the surface, but as this was highlighted, she simply collapsed on her own," he analyzed. He continued, "When the president herself collapses, those around her inevitably collapse as well," adding, "Although she declared she would not resign even if impeached in response to opposition parties' calls for her resignation, the dam had already broken. Once the president utters the words 'even if impeached,' it is already over," he pointed out.
Lee said, "Watching TV news these days feels similar to eight years ago. In 2016, not only JTBC but also TV Chosun reported very aggressively," but he noted, "The difference from eight years ago is that the ruling party and the prosecution are not shaken. This may be due to the learning effect from eight years ago." He also added, "In 2016, the prosecution was different, such as arresting Choi Soon-sil. Also, in 2016, the Saenuri Party had figures like Yoo Seung-min, Nam Kyung-pil, and Kim Se-yeon, which made impeachment possible, but these three lost their political standing afterward." He concluded that "a different kind of d?j? vu is unfolding."
In fact, the presidential office maintains that there is no political, legal, or common-sense problem regarding the phone call between President Yoon and Mr. Myung. Chief of Staff Jeong Jin-seok emphasized about the recordings, "(The day before inauguration) there is no obligation of political neutrality as a public official, and there is no law stipulating any political neutrality obligation toward the president-elect," adding, "President Yoon has not engaged in illegal acts such as interfering with nominations or elections before or after inauguration."
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