Kim Kihyun: Lee Jaemyung's 'Will of the People' Remark Is Chilling... Should Step Down If He Wants a Real Republic of Korea

"You Must Abandon the Illusion of Making a Criminal President"

Kim Kihyun, a member of the People Power Party, is arriving at the National Assembly on December 8 last year. Photo by Kim Hyunmin

Kim Kihyun, a member of the People Power Party, commented on the Supreme Court's decision to remand the appeal in the case of Lee Jaemyung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, who was charged with violating the Public Official Election Act, stating, "If you truly want a real Republic of Korea, you must step down."

On May 2, Kim wrote on his Facebook, "After the Supreme Court overturned the acquittal verdict from the second trial and remanded the case for a guilty verdict against candidate Lee Jaemyung, who was indicted for violating the Public Official Election Act, the Democratic Party is now making unreasonable claims, saying 'the Supreme Court is interfering in the election' and 'this is a judicial coup.'"

He continued, "Perhaps out of anger, they pushed for a vote on the impeachment of Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sangmok late last night, and also announced plans to impeach Prosecutor General Sim Ujeong. If the Supreme Court had acquitted Lee Jaemyung, would they still have called it election interference? When the second trial gave Lee Jaemyung a free pass, they made a fuss, saying judicial justice was alive, but now that the Supreme Court has issued a guilty verdict, they claim judicial justice is dead."

He added, "Such frequent flip-flopping is nothing but an insult to the people. It is chillingly obvious that Lee Jaemyung's claim that 'the will of the people comes first' would be overturned without hesitation if he were elected president."

Kim also stated, "In addition to the election law violation case, Lee Jaemyung is also being tried for several other charges, including the Daejang-dong case. If Lee were to be elected president, there would inevitably be legal and political disputes over whether these trials would continue or be suspended until the end of his term. This is neither the real Republic of Korea that the people want nor the duty owed to the sovereign people."

In conclusion, he said, "If Lee Jaemyung and the Democratic Party truly want a real Republic of Korea, they must abandon the misguided illusion of making a criminal president and either replace their presidential candidate or announce their withdrawal in accordance with the legal common sense of the people. We must not repeat the dark history of another presidential impeachment."