"Did They Really Have to Indict This Too?"... Hong Joon-pyo Criticizes Prosecutors' Additional Indictment of Lee Jae-myung

Hong Jun-pyo, the mayor of Daegu, criticized the prosecution's indictment of Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, for breach of duty during his tenure as governor of Gyeonggi Province.

On the 21st, Mayor Hong said through social media (SNS), "I saw reports that Lee was indicted on charges of breach of duty during his time as governor of Gyeonggi Province," adding, "Half of the charges were about the personal use of official vehicles, and most of the rest were meal expenses. Seeing this situation, I felt regretful, wondering if it was really necessary to indict even on such matters, as it seems like a scene of political absence."

Earlier, the prosecution indicted Lee without detention, accusing him of using official vehicles for personal purposes from July 2018 to October 2021 while serving as governor of Gyeonggi Province, and spending Gyeonggi Province’s budget on sandwiches, fruits, and meal expenses using corporate cards, among other private uses of public funds, charging him with breach of duty and referring the case to trial.

He said, "Soon, as part of national reform, the prime minister must be approved, but with such a sweeping investigation, can the Democratic Party approve the budget session and the prime minister’s confirmation?"

At the Daegu-Gyeongbuk New Airport Investment Briefing held on the 20th at the Fairmont Hotel in Seoul, Hong Joon-pyo, Mayor of Daegu, is delivering a greeting regarding the new airport plan. Photo by Heo Young-han younghan@

Mayor Hong stated, "I never use official vehicles on weekends or holidays; I always use my personal Carnival, and my wife has long used her personal car. I do not spend even a single won from the mayor’s policy promotion fund for anything other than official duties," but added, "Sometimes it is unclear whether the use is official or personal, and there are many such cases with vehicle use. I wonder how they tried to prove that to indict?it seems like an indictment just to disgrace."

He pointed out, "Lee already faces multiple indictments that inevitably warrant heavy sentences, so was it necessary to indict on such matters at this time, causing misunderstandings? Politics is nowhere to be found, and the past two and a half years for both sides have been stained only by investigations and trials."

Mayor Hong criticized, "Dialogue, communication, and cooperation are nowhere to be seen, and endless mutual destruction is the current state of Korean politics," adding, "With urgent crisis measures needed for South Korea in the event of a Trump second term, is there really time for this?"