Kwon Youngse Says Ahead of Lee Jaemyung Supreme Court Ruling: "Regardless of the Verdict, He Is Politically Unqualified"

"A Supreme Court Ruling as the Starting Point to Restore Shattered Common Sense"
"If There Is a Gap Between Common Sense and Court Rulings, the Judiciary Cannot Be Trusted"

Kwon Youngse, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, stated on the 1st, ahead of the Supreme Court's ruling on the Public Official Election Act case involving former Democratic Party leader Lee Jaemyung, "Regardless of the verdict, it remains unchanged that candidate Lee Jaemyung is politically unqualified."

At the Emergency Response Committee meeting held at the National Assembly that morning, Kwon said, "I hope today's ruling will serve as a starting point to restore shattered common sense and normalize the Republic of Korea," expressing these views.

Kwon Youngse, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, is speaking at the Emergency Response Committee meeting held at the National Assembly on the 1st. Photo by Yonhap News

Kwon added, "While the final judgment of guilt or innocence belongs to the judiciary, many citizens are raising serious questions about the appellate court's acquittal of former leader Lee, who was sentenced to prison in the first trial."

He continued, "The appellate court interpreted Lee's claim of not knowing Kim Moonki (former head of Seongnam Urban Development Corporation) as an issue of perception, and even the remarks to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport?proven false by numerous witnesses?were interpreted merely as exaggerated statements of opinion. The court even acknowledged that enlarging a photograph constituted manipulation."

Kwon stated, "If there is such a gap between ordinary citizens' common sense and the court's rulings, it will be difficult for people to trust the judiciary," adding, "People are asking whether the courts will also succumb to political logic."

He further criticized, "The very fact that someone facing 12 charges in five trials with four prior convictions is the presidential candidate of a major party is abnormal. He even brought in companies from the North Korean regime, which threatens us with nuclear weapons and missiles, to secure his own visit to North Korea, and went so far as to deliver money to them."

Kwon pointed out, "If the election law violation trial had followed the '6-3-3' rule (six months for the first trial, three months for the second, and three months for the third), and if other criminal trials had not been endlessly delayed, the current presidential race would be completely different. I want to make it clear that some judges who allowed or overlooked these delays bear significant responsibility for the current confusion."

The Supreme Court Grand Bench will deliver its verdict at 3 p.m. today in the main courtroom on the appeal trial of candidate Lee, who was indicted for violating the Public Official Election Act.

Former leader Lee was indicted on charges of spreading false information, including his statement during a 2021 presidential campaign broadcast that he did not know the late Kim Moonki, former head of development at Seongnam Urban Development Corporation.

The first trial found him guilty and sentenced him to one year in prison with a two-year suspended sentence, but the appellate court acquitted him of all charges.