Jung Cheongrae’s Message on Social Media
Baek Hyeryeon: "Yoon Suk-yeol Now Has Nowhere Left to Turn Legally"
On January 16, the Democratic Party of Korea stated regarding the court’s sentencing of former President Yoon Suk-yeol to five years in prison on charges including obstruction of arrest by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), “From five years to the death penalty, the principle of zero tolerance must be applied to punish even the slightest trace of insurrection.”
Jung Cheongrae, leader of the Democratic Party, wrote on his Facebook immediately after the court’s decision on former President Yoon, “You can’t be satisfied with the first step. The reckoning for insurrection has only just begun,” adding, “The reckoning for insurrection in the Republic of Korea cannot be completed with leniency.”
Most Democratic Party lawmakers expressed the view that the prison term for former President Yoon was insufficient, but also described it as ‘the first step toward reckoning for insurrection.’
Kang Deukgu, Supreme Council member, voiced dissatisfaction with the sentence, saying, “Yoon Suk-yeol ignored judicial warrants and mobilized the presidential security service to trample on the rule of law. Yet, if the sentence is only five years, it sends the wrong signal that such actions can be tolerated.” Kang added, “With this level of punishment, it is impossible to restore the constitutional order that has been undermined.”
Three-term lawmaker Baek Hyeryeon wrote on Facebook, “The court recognized that all aspects of the CIO’s investigative authority and warrant requests were legitimate. A prison sentence was handed down,” adding, “Yoon Suk-yeol now has nowhere to turn to legally.”
Former Democratic Party lawmaker Park Yongjin said, “Justice has prevailed,” and added, “This is the inevitable outcome of his own actions; now all that remains is his inmate number.” Park emphasized, “This is the first judicial judgment on the arrogance of privatizing state power for personal safety and mocking the law from behind the shield of the presidential security service.” However, he also pointed out, “Considering the fear and despair felt by the people, the sentence is woefully inadequate.”
He continued, “It is hard not to laugh at the part where the court reduced the sentence because it was a ‘first offense.’ How can the term ‘first offense’ be applied to the ringleader of a constitutional insurrection?” He added, “A five-year sentence is only the beginning of his punishment.”
Meanwhile, on this day, the 35th Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judge Baek Daehyeon) sentenced former President Yoon to five years in prison in the first trial for charges including obstruction of special official duties and abuse of authority.
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