Lee Jae Myung: "I Trust the Judiciary as the Final Bastion... But If Its Guns Turn on Us, It Must Be Fixed"

On the convening of the Judges' Conference: "Judicial trust must not be broken"
On the withdrawal of the Progressive Party candidate: "I am grateful"

Lee Jae Myung, the Democratic Party's presidential candidate, commented on the upcoming National Judges' Representatives Conference scheduled for the 26th, which will address the controversy surrounding the Supreme Court's remand ruling, saying, "This is part of the process of resolving the issue," and added, "I thought it would be held soon, but it has been postponed considerably."

Lee Jae Myung, the Democratic Party candidate, is talking with citizens in Yonggangdong, Gyeongju City, North Gyeongsang Province. Photo by Lim Chun Han

On the afternoon of May 9, in Gimcheon, North Gyeongsang Province, Lee met with reporters and said, "I believe the judiciary is striving to make judgments that are rational and in line with common sense and the law, not out of blind obedience or submission. I believe that most of the judiciary is making such efforts," and added, "That trust and confidence must not be broken."

Regarding the calls from within his party for Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee Dae to resign, Lee stated, "The judiciary is the final bastion, and our people, as well as the members of the judiciary, know what it means to protect this bastion," and added, "I believe that everyone will make sound judgments and handle matters well according to justice, common sense, rationality, the Constitution, and the law."

Lee said, "I trust most members of the judiciary, and I trust our judicial system," but also added, "However, if the barrel of the final bastion's gun were to fire indiscriminately at us or self-destruct, what would happen? Wouldn't it need to be fixed?"

Regarding the withdrawal of Kim Jae Yeon, the Progressive Party's presidential candidate, Lee responded, "I am grateful." Previously, Kim had stated, "I will devote everything to achieving a change of government that can harness the power of the public square as the driving force for eradicating rebellion forces and for major social reform," and added, "I will support Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae Myung as the candidate of the public square and conclude my activities as a preliminary presidential candidate."