Democratic Party Holds Emergency Meeting After Lee's Case Is Remanded... Park Chandae Calls It "A Historic Judicial Disgrace"

"Will the People Accept Such a Crude Ruling?"
On Acting President Han's Resignation: "A Rigged Game of Go-Stop"

Park Chandae, Floor Leader of the Democratic Party, criticized the Supreme Court's decision on May 1 to overturn and remand Lee Jae Myung's Public Official Election Act case with a guilty implication, saying, "How many people will accept a ruling that was issued in a period so short that it would be impossible to properly read over 60,000 pages of trial records?"

On the 1st, at the emergency Democratic Party members' meeting held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, following the Supreme Court's decision to overturn and remand the second trial's not guilty verdict on Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae Myung's violation of the Public Official Election Act, Floor Leader Park Chandae is entering. Photo by Yonhap News

At an emergency party members' meeting held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, that afternoon, Floor Leader Park stated, "Who among the people could accept such a crude ruling that lacks any sense of fairness or consistency, and even seeks to punish subjective and abstract judgments?" He added that this reflects criticism that the remand verdict, delivered only nine days after the Supreme Court decided to handle Lee's case in a full bench session with all justices participating, was rushed.

He further argued, "The ruling completely disregarded the constitutional significance and importance of freedom of political expression and election campaigning, and it directly contradicts the principle of legality in criminal law and the principle of 'in dubio pro reo'?that doubts should benefit the defendant." He also said, "This ruling will go down in judicial history as an unprecedented verdict that instantly destroyed public trust in the courts, leaving a dark stain for years to come," and added, "I am outraged that a court, which should stand for justice, is engaging in politics."

He went on to comment on the situation in which, just one hour after the Supreme Court's ruling, Acting President and Prime Minister Han Ducksoo resigned, effectively confirming his presidential candidacy, saying, "What kind of rigged game of Go-Stop is this?" He added, "This coup will ultimately end in failure," and continued, "The Democratic Party will place its trust solely in the people and, together with the people, will remain steadfast and vigilant until the very end to end the insurrection and restore justice."