Lee Jae-myung's "Choi Sang-mok, be careful" remark... Ruling party lashes out calling him "gangster," "mobster," and "go to jail"

Han Dong-hoon, Hong Joon-pyo, and Other Ruling Party Presidential Hopefuls Criticize Lee Jae-myung
Won Hee-ryong, Resuming Political Activities, Calls It "Violent Revenge Madness"
Ruling Party Steps Up Attacks Through Statements: "Petty Thug"

On the 19th, Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, told Choi Sang-mok, Acting Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance who is not appointing Ma Eun-hyuk as a Constitutional Court Justice nominee, to "be careful," drawing criticism from ruling party presidential candidates.

Former People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon publicly criticized Lee’s remark on Facebook immediately after, saying, "'I hope you be careful.' That’s something gangsters say." At the Democratic Party’s Supreme Council meeting that day, Lee warned Acting Prime Minister Choi, saying, "Maintaining national order is the government’s primary responsibility, and even a sitting president can be punished if they destroy the constitutional order. Acting Prime Minister Choi is routinely committing acts that disrupt the national order," adding, "From this moment on, anyone can arrest him as a ‘dereliction of duty in the act,’ so I hope he is careful."

Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo also posted on social media, "Disruption of the national order means incapacitating or suspending the functions of state institutions. Lee Jae-myung has led such disruption by carrying out 29 impeachments that suspended the duties of state institutions, making him a so-called traitor," and added, "Now that it’s difficult to approve President Yoon Seok-youl’s impeachment, he is forcing the appointment of Ma Eun-hyuk, a former anti-establishment legal professional, as a Constitutional Court Justice and talking about arresting Acting Prime Minister Choi for dereliction of duty." Mayor Hong continued, "Recently, he even claimed assassination threats involving a Russian pistol, putting on a show. It’s a Donald Trump imitation act," and criticized, "Stop making a fuss and just go to jail. The safest place for you is prison."

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Former Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Hee-ryong, who recently resumed political activities, directly attacked on his Facebook, saying, "Lee Jae-myung’s characteristic violent revenge madness. Lee should shut the mouth of a gangster," and added, "As his trial sentencing date approaches, he has dropped the mask and no longer hides his terrifying gangster identity." He further stated, "Attempts to paralyze constitutional institutions are disruption of the national order and rebellion," and assessed, "Lee Jae-myung, who is accustomed to gangster-style threats and Kim Jong-un-style purges, is the ‘greatest danger’ currently existing in South Korea."

At the party level, voices are growing to condemn Lee’s remarks as outrageous. Shin Dong-wook, senior spokesperson for the People Power Party, criticized in a statement that day, "It seems Lee has lost his reason as his judicial risks become imminent ahead of his trial." He continued, "Now he has shockingly uttered outrageous remarks threatening even the acting president for not following his words, as if he were a petty thug," and scolded, "Was the dozens of impeachments and special investigations he repeatedly used with his overwhelming seats not enough?"

Joo Jin-woo, People Power Party law advisory committee chairman and member of the National Assembly, also criticized on social media, "(Lee) is inciting to arrest Acting Prime Minister Choi as a dereliction of duty in the act," calling it "sedition incitement." Joo added, "It seems he has obtained information that at least three justices hold opinions to dismiss or reject the impeachment," and argued, "Since impeachment approval is off the table, he is trying to use Ma Eun-hyuk’s nomination as a trick; otherwise, this situation cannot be explained."

Meanwhile, Lee Jun-seok, Reform New Party lawmaker and the first among parliamentary parties to be selected as a presidential candidate, also wrote on social media, "Acting Prime Minister Choi should not take lightly Lee’s ‘be careful’ remark," and pointed out, "Remembering Lee Jae-myung’s last election slogan, ‘Lee Jae-myung gets things done,’ this threat is no joke." He added, "This is Lee’s expression of impatience that his second trial ruling might come before impeachment, warning the acting president as if he would physically harm him," and fiercely criticized, "He really has no manners."