President Lee: "Criticizing the Prosecution for Not Appealing in Lee Jaemyung Cases... Departure from Neutrality"

President Lee Jaemyung Holds Press Briefing in China on the 7th

President Lee Jae-myung, who is on a state visit to China, is speaking at a luncheon meeting with the press corps held at a hotel in Shanghai on the 7th. Photo by Yonhap News

On January 7 (local time), President Lee Jaemyung stated, "When a court rules that the prosecution's indictment was wrong, it is customary to criticize the prosecution for making a wrongful indictment. However, strangely, when I or the Democratic Party are involved, people defend the prosecution and claim the court's judgment was wrong."

President Lee made these remarks during a luncheon meeting with the accompanying press corps at the Shanghai Press Center in China, in response to a question about 'anti-China sentiment.' He said, "When a not-guilty verdict is issued, isn't it normal to criticize the prosecution for an excessive indictment? If the prosecution appeals, they should be criticized even more, but in cases related to me or the Democratic Party, people oddly criticize the prosecution for not appealing. That is the problem," he pointed out.

He went on to say, "If you don't stand straight, everything looks crooked, so sometimes I wonder if the world appears crooked because you yourself are standing crooked."

President Lee also remarked, "When the court makes a wrong ruling, do people expect the prosecution to appeal and overturn the court's decision? This is completely lacking in neutrality. The standards really change every time." He added, "Sometimes I wonder if the world seems crooked because I myself am not standing straight."