Party Leadership Rises to Defend Lee Jae-myung: "Prosecutors' Double Standards and Biased Investigations"

The leadership of the Democratic Party of Korea focused on a public opinion campaign on the 15th ahead of the first trial verdict for party leader Lee Jae-myung's violation of the Public Official Election Act.

At the highest council meeting held at the National Assembly that day, Supreme Council Member Lee Eon-ju described Lee's case as "a double standard, a rubber ruler, and a biased investigation by the prosecution."

Lee said, "President Yoon Seok-yeol also denied knowing Kim Man-bae during the presidential election when asked by reporters, but the prosecution dismissed the case, saying it was 'a self-assessment or expression of opinion regarding closeness.' The prosecution demanded a fine of 3 million won for Lee's spouse Kim Hye-kyung's payment of 104,000 won for food, but did not properly investigate serious corruption allegations such as First Lady Kim Geon-hee's receipt of luxury bags and the Deutsche Motors stock manipulation, and dismissed all charges," criticizing the prosecution.

He added, "Please do not forget that the prosecutor's duty to maintain political neutrality and not abuse the given authority is engraved in the law."

On the 15th, the day of the first trial sentencing hearing for Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, on charges of violating the Public Official Election Act, supporters of Lee Jae-myung gathered in front of the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, holding a rally demanding the dismantling of the political prosecution and declaring Lee Jae-myung's innocence. Photo by Jo Yong-jun

Supreme Council Member Jeon Hyun-hee argued, "Based on facts and legal principles, it is clearly not guilty," and claimed, "Lee's statement that he did not know the late Kim Moon-gi, former head of Development Division 1 at Seongnam Urban Development Corporation, is a subjective perception, and the statement that he was threatened by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport regarding the land use change in Baekhyeon-dong is also a personal perception."

Jeon said, "The double standard behavior of the political prosecution, which fabricates crimes that do not exist for the leader of the main opposition party and forcibly indicts him, while covering up crimes of the powerful couple Yoon Seok-yeol and Kim Geon-hee and issuing pardons, will surely be judged by the people."

Chief Spokesperson Cho Seung-rae told reporters, "Lee asked lawmakers to refrain from going to court," and "He also requested that they refrain from attending rallies around the court."

After the highest council meeting that day, Lee briefly responded to reporters, saying, "I have nothing special to say."