Lee Eonju Strikes Back by Naming Names
Failure to Report Income from Publication Events
"Is Politics Only About Digging Up Dirt?"
Lee Eonju, Supreme Council member of the Democratic Party, launched a counterattack on June 23 regarding the criticism that Prime Minister nominee Kim Minseok failed to report income from his publication commemoration event and from gifts received on special occasions. She claimed that 37 members of the People Power Party had omitted income from their own publication events, and that Joo Jinwoo, the People Power Party lawmaker leading the vetting of nominee Kim, also failed to report income from gifts received on special occasions.
During the Democratic Party Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly that day, Lee stated, "The People Power Party is once again attacking, calling this a new case of income omission. While it is possible to criticize the practice, it has been customary for most lawmakers not to separately report income from publication events or gifts received on special occasions. If we are to criticize this, we should address the existing customs and, through legislation, agree not to continue this practice. From now on, everything should be reported and made transparent."
In this context, she publicly named the People Power Party lawmakers whose income from gifts received on special occasions and publication events had been omitted.
She emphasized, "I want to make it clear that, even more than the Democratic Party, the People Power Party has consistently failed to properly report and has omitted such income." She continued, "Ten People Power Party lawmakers, including Joo Jinwoo, Kwon Seongdong, Kwon Youngse, Song Eonseok, and Kwak Sangdo, failed to report income from gifts received on special occasions over the past five years." Lee added, "In 2023, when Joo Jinwoo was serving as legal secretary to the President, the news of his grandmother's passing was published in the obituary sections of various domestic media outlets, but he still omitted this from his asset report. At that time, the position of legal secretary to the President was a highly influential one, so I do not understand how such income could have been omitted. I hope he takes better care of his own affairs first."
Lee Eonju, a member of the Democratic Party, is questioning Prime Minister Han Ducksoo during the government-wide economic inquiry held at the National Assembly on the 11th. Photo by Kim Hyunmin kimhyun81@
Additionally, Lee stated, "Thirty-seven People Power Party lawmakers, including Lee Jongbae, chairman of the special committee on the prime minister's confirmation hearing, as well as Kwon Youngse, Yoon Sanghyun, Park Sooyoung, and Cho Baesook, omitted income from publication events." She continued, "When influential politicians at the center of power hold publication events, it is only reasonable to assume that they would receive much more in book payments than opposition lawmakers or those who have been pushed out of the center of power." She added, "I believe that these individuals, more than anyone, should first report their own publication event income. I urge you to stop attacks for the sake of attacking, and opposition for the sake of opposition, and to cooperate quickly in the prime minister's confirmation hearing and approval process in the interest of the nation."
Lee also criticized, "Political activities, including confirmation hearings, are being muddied, especially by politicians with prosecutorial backgrounds. Perhaps because they are former prosecutors, everything is shrouded in political maneuvering. If politics continues in this way, it will become extremely unproductive." She added, "Is the only thing these so-called politicians with prosecutorial backgrounds do in politics to drag everyone through the mud and dig up each other's weaknesses? It makes one question whether this is what politics is supposed to be."
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