Han Donghoon: "He knows it well because it's his own case"
Na Kyungwon: "A Freudian slip"
Han Donghoon, former leader of the People Power Party, and Na Kyungwon, a member of the People Power Party, simultaneously criticized President Lee Jaemyung's remarks about 'smuggling dollars in bookmarks.'
Both raised the intensity of their criticism, questioning whether the President's specific mention of a particular method of illegally taking foreign currency out of the country was connected to the past Ssangbangwool remittance to North Korea case.
On December 12, Han Donghoon posted on Facebook, "Yesterday, President Lee Jaemyung said that books carried by airline passengers should be searched to prevent foreign currency from being smuggled out by hiding it inside books," raising concerns. He continued, "While it may seem strange and unfamiliar to the general public, that was exactly the method used in the Ssangbangwool remittance case, where the company paid for Lee Jaemyung's trip to North Korea on his behalf (the court clearly stated it was for the trip), smuggling foreign currency out of the country."
Hanjong Hoon, former leader of the People Power Party, and Na Kyungwon, a member of the People Power Party, simultaneously criticized President Lee Jae-myung's remark about 'smuggling dollars in bookmarks.' Photo by the National Assembly Press Photographers Group
Han Donghoon interpreted the President's remarks as a near 'self-confession,' stating, "President Lee knows this well because it is his own case." He went on to say, "It seems that, in the process of publicly reprimanding the airport corporation president appointed by the previous administration in order to replace him with an ally, President Lee's instinct of 'I know this because I've done it' kicked in. But is having done that really something to brag about?"
The controversial remarks were made the previous day at a Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport briefing held at the Sejong Convention Center. During the briefing, President Lee asked Lee Hakjae, CEO of Incheon International Airport Corporation, about the current status of crackdowns on illegal foreign currency outflows, saying, "You are not allowed to take more than 10,000 dollars out of the country, but I've heard that if you hide tens of thousands of dollars in 100-dollar bills between the pages of a book, you won't get caught. Is that really the case?" He then publicly rebuked the official, criticizing his lack of understanding of the situation.
Na Kyungwon also joined in the criticism on the same issue. On December 13, Na Kyungwon wrote on Facebook, "Yesterday's Incheon International Airport Corporation briefing by President Lee Jaemyung was truly embarrassing to watch," adding, "The way he cornered the head of a public corporation, it was nothing more or less than the behavior of a neighborhood bully intoxicated by playing 'President.'"
Na Kyungwon especially focused on the smuggling method mentioned by the President. She said, "What was truly shocking was the President's bizarre 'obsession.' 'I've heard that if you hide tens of thousands of dollars in 100-dollar bills between the pages of a book, you won't get caught. Should we search all the books?' she quoted, raising concerns. She then questioned, "Of all the many smuggling methods, why did the President so persistently fixate on 'smuggling dollars in bookmarks'?"
Na Kyungwon argued, "Isn't this the very method used by Ssangbangwool Group executives in 2019 when smuggling dollars for remittance to North Korea?" She continued, "'Hide dollars in books and cosmetics cases.' The vivid details of this crime, as described in the prosecution's indictment at the time, must have left a deep impression on the President." She further commented, "From a psychological perspective, this is not just a simple rebuke, but a kind of 'Freudian slip,' with memories related to his own legal risks surfacing unconsciously."
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