Han Minsoo: "Judiciary's Rush Is Blatant Presidential Election Interference"
Jin Sungjoon, Kim Minseok, and Other Party Leaders: "Judicial Impeachment Necessary"
The Democratic Party of Korea has criticized the scheduling of the retrial for Lee Jaemyung, its presidential candidate, on charges of violating the Public Official Election Act for May 15, calling it a clear case of election interference. The party leadership harshly condemned the judiciary and insisted that the impeachment of judges is necessary.
On the 3rd, Han Minsoo, spokesperson for the Democratic Party's election committee, stated in a written briefing, "Less than a day after the Supreme Court overturned the original not-guilty verdict and remanded the case to the Seoul High Court, the court and the date of the first hearing were designated with lightning speed." He added, "This judicial rush is blatant election interference and an obstruction of the election."
Spokesperson Han also said, "Article 11 of the Public Official Election Act stipulates that a presidential candidate cannot be arrested or detained from the time of registration until the end of vote counting." He continued, "The spirit of Article 11 is to prevent the judiciary and investigative agencies from interfering in the election and undermining the basic order of democracy."
He further stated, "In this context, the retrial court's decision to set the hearing date for the 15th, which falls within the official election campaign period, is a clear act of election interference and an infringement on the people's right to political participation." He continued, "If the judiciary tries to excuse itself by saying that simply setting a date, rather than arrest or detention, does not matter, such sophistry should be abandoned."
The Democratic Party leadership even raised the possibility of impeaching members of the judiciary. Jin Sungjoon, the party's Policy Committee Chair, wrote on Facebook, "Separate from the legal struggle to secure a not-guilty verdict for presidential candidate Lee Jaemyung, a disciplinary action (impeachment motion) by the National Assembly is necessary against the Supreme Court for its unconstitutional and illegal acts."
Kim Minseok, the party's Senior Supreme Council member, also wrote on his Facebook page, "This is an unprecedented, rushed and predatory trial by the Supreme Court, a ruling that interferes in the presidential election and kills popular sovereignty and democracy." He added, "If this unlawful trial is also carried out at the Seoul High Court, the people must be protected through 'judicial impeachment'." He further stated, "This is not merely the time of the judiciary, but a grand time for the sovereign people."
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