Jokuk: "Lee Hyehoon’s Fraudulent Subscription Allegations Are Serious... She Must Resolve It Herself"

"Mounting Pressure on the President... Is There Any Reason to Insist?"

Jokuk Innovation Party Representative Jokuk addressed the allegations of "fraudulent apartment subscription" involving Seocho District apartment owned by Lee Hyehoon, the nominee for Minister of Planning and Budget, stating, "It is a flaw that not only progressives but also mainstream conservatives would find difficult to accept."

Jokuk Innovation Party Representative Jokuk.

"Fraudulent subscription allegations are hard to accept... The person responsible must resolve it"

On January 9, in an interview with the YouTube channel OhmyTV's "Park Jungho's Hotspot," Representative Jokuk said, "Both the nominee and the presidential office must take this matter very seriously." He continued, "It seems to be increasingly burdening the president. There are several candidates who could take charge of the new department (Ministry of Planning and Budget), so is there any reason to insist on this particular nominee?" He emphasized, "I believe this is an issue that Lee Hyehoon herself must resolve."

He said, "I support appointing a moderate conservative figure as Minister of Planning and Budget," but added, "However, whether it is appropriate to appoint this nominee is a different matter. Lee Hyehoon should be given an opportunity to explain, and we must verify whether the allegations are true or not. Among the various allegations raised so far, the claim that she obtained a large profit by falsely applying for an apartment subscription would be a very serious problem if true."

On ruling party nomination bribery allegations: "Both human and system errors involved"

Regarding the Democratic Party's alleged acceptance of nomination bribes during the 2022 local elections, he said, "Since it is another party, I do not know the internal details," but added, "Representative Jeong Cheongrae said it was a human error, not a system error, but I find that assessment lacking." He continued, "In my view, both human error and system error are involved. Since winning the nomination essentially guarantees election, nomination bribes and queuing up for nominations occur. The solution to this problem is to reduce two-member constituencies and increase multi-member constituencies."

Regarding the goal for the June 3 local elections, he said, "From a national perspective, far-right, insurrectionist, and pro-Yoon factions must be held politically accountable. For example, in order to prevent the People Power Party from winning the mayoral elections in Seoul, Busan, and Daegu, the broader pro-government bloc must unite. We must create a one-on-one contest," adding, "Also, like the recent cash envelope scandal, we must eradicate regional corruption."

Additionally, Representative Jokuk commented on the insurrection trial of former President Yoon Sukyeol, saying, "Even if the trial proceedings were frivolous, the nature of the crime itself is grave, and there are absolutely no mitigating circumstances." He added, "Considering the court's sentencing guidelines, even Chief Judge Ji Guyoun would find it extremely difficult to issue a lenient verdict."