Innovation Meeting, Petition Signing... Pressuring the Perjury Coaching Court
Loss of Candidacy Rights for Fines Over 1 Million Won
Party's Rising Stars Kim Dong-yeon, Kim Kyung-soo, Kim Boo-kyum 'Stirring'
The Democratic Party of Korea has mobilized all its resources to defend Lee Jae-myung, the party leader, against judicial risks. If the court sentences Lee to a punishment that results in the loss of his eligibility to run for office, it is expected that the political landscape within the party will change.
Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is speaking at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 13th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min
The largest pro-Lee Jae-myung faction, the Democratic Party National Innovation Council (Innovation Council), plans to hold a pre-rally on the 15th in front of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul, urging Lee’s acquittal. It is known that not only party members but also Democratic Party lawmakers will participate in the rally. Supporters of Lee are encouraging participation in the rally. On Lee’s fan cafe, "Jaemyeong’s Village," a notice titled "Let’s support Lee, let’s gather in Seocho-dong" was posted.
The Innovation Council has decided to extend the period for collecting signatures for a petition demanding Lee’s acquittal until the 18th. The plan is to submit the petition with as many signatures as possible to the court handling Lee’s perjury charge trial scheduled for the 25th. The day before, the Innovation Council submitted a petition urging acquittal to the court dealing with Lee’s violation of the Public Official Election Act. The petition reportedly gathered a total of 1.03 million participants, including about 560 leaders from religious, academic, cultural and artistic, and civil society sectors.
Within the party, efforts are also being made to fully defend Lee’s judicial risks. The Democratic Party’s Anti-Prosecutorial Dictatorship Committee has issued statements and press releases seven times this month alone. Compared to other temporary party bodies such as the Medical Crisis Countermeasures Special Committee and the National Security Situation Inspection Committee, which each released one press release, this shows a strong voice. On the 5th, the Democratic Party also launched the Judicial Justice Special Committee (Judicial Special Committee) dedicated solely to responding to Lee’s judicial risks. The Judicial Special Committee is expected to focus on public opinion campaigns, organized into legal response, publicity, and citizen divisions.
As the Democratic Party is putting in full effort, the impact of the sentencing result is also expected to be significant. Even if a guilty verdict with a fine of less than 1 million won is handed down instead of acquittal, the party assesses that Lee has the resilience to endure. The problem arises if a guilty verdict with a fine exceeding 1 million won is imposed. According to the Public Official Election Act Article 270, if the court imposes a fine of 1 million won or more, Lee will lose his parliamentary seat and be disqualified from running for office for the next five years. The second and third trials must issue a verdict within three months from the date of the previous trial’s verdict. This means Lee’s violation of the Public Official Election Act will be concluded by May next year at the latest. This is why there are voices saying it could deal a fatal blow to Lee’s political standing as he aims for the presidential election scheduled for March 2027.
Lee’s rivals appear to be working behind the scenes. Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon said at a press conference at the Gyeonggi Provincial Government the day before, "President Yoon should step down voluntarily as a matter of duty." Unlike the cautious party leadership regarding resignation or impeachment, Kim’s official mention of stepping down is interpreted as showing his presence. It was also revealed belatedly that Kim met with former Gyeongnam Province Governor Kim Kyung-soo in Berlin, Germany, on the 1st.
Another presidential contender, former Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum, mentioned the phrase '혼용무도 군주민수 (昏庸無道 君舟民水) 지지불태 가이필생 (知止不殆 可以必生)' on his social media after President Yoon’s national address on the 7th. The phrase 군주민수 means that the people can overturn their leader, which is also interpreted as referring to President Yoon’s impeachment or resignation.
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