Lee Jae-myung: "Yoon Should Apologize to the People Before Finding Fault"

Choo Kyung-ho Launches Fierce Attack Mentioning Lee's Allegations and Democratic Party Money Envelope Scandal
Ruling Party Pressures for Live Broadcast of Lee Leader's First Trial Verdict

The People Power Party on the 8th urged Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, and the Democratic Party, who harshly criticized President Yoon Seok-yeol's national address and press conference, saying, "Before nitpicking the president's apology, we hope you first reflect on your own mistakes and bow your heads to apologize to the people."

At the party floor leaders' meeting held at the National Assembly that day, Floor Leader Chu said, "Yesterday, the Democratic Party poured out harsh criticism, saying the president's national apology lacked sincerity," expressing this view.

He also mentioned trial-related matters such as the perjury coaching charges against Lee and the Public Official Election Act violation charges against his spouse Kim Hye-kyung, asking, "Before discussing the president's sincerity, have you ever acknowledged responsibility for your own mistakes and apologized?"

Regarding the Democratic Party's money envelope distribution incident, he criticized, "Nine current and former opposition lawmakers were involved in the Democratic Party's 'money party' money envelope distribution incident, among whom former Secretary-General Yoon Kwan-seok was sentenced to prison, and former Democratic Party leader Song Young-gil was sentenced to nine years in prison. Yet, the Democratic Party has not uttered a single word of apology."

Regarding the comprehensive policy inquiry of the Special Budget and Accounts Committee, he said, "Opposition lawmakers were busy showering arrows of criticism at the president, ignoring the approximately 680 trillion won budget," and asked, "Can't the Democratic Party, which is 'all-in' on shielding its party leader, and the Innovation Party of Korea, use even one-tenth of the energy they spend on impeachment and special investigations to seriously focus on people's livelihoods?"

In particular, regarding the National Assembly Rotunda Hall rally condemning the Yoon Seok-yeol government organized by the Democratic Party and the rally held around Seoul Station on the 2nd by the Democratic Party and the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), he warned, "The people will immediately understand and judge the essence of the regime struggle and regime resignation struggle carried out by the KCTU, whose former key Democratic Party executive was legally imprisoned for exchanging regime overthrow plans with North Korea."

Chu Kyung-ho, floor leader of the People Power Party, is speaking at the floor strategy meeting held at the National Assembly on the 8th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min

Secretary-General Seo Beom-su also referred to the first trial sentencing for Lee's Public Official Election Act violation charge (on the 15th) and the first trial sentencing date for the perjury coaching charge (on the 25th), saying, "The people of the Republic of Korea will surely know what days November 15 and November 25 are, if not other days," and directly criticized, "Democratic Party lawmakers say they will take emergency action, forming groups by standing committees and occupying seats daily in the Rotunda Hall. Is there any need to ask who they are for and what they are for?"

He continued, "Leaving the National Assembly and going out to the streets to shield the party leader cannot revive people's livelihoods, nor can it properly check strict security or respond to the rapidly changing diplomatic environment. Wake up."

Senior Deputy Floor Leader Bae Jun-young also criticized, "The Democratic Party outwardly strongly believes in Lee Jae-myung's innocence and is preparing to intimidate the judiciary through a petition for acquittal, while going outside to push for the president's impeachment and a special investigation into his spouse, trying to divert the public's attention from the party leader's corruption," adding, "What the Democratic Party should do now is to directly broadcast the first trial sentencing hearing of Lee Jae-myung live and thoroughly resolve all public suspicions."