Jeong Cheongrae: "Life Sentence for Yoon Is the Minimum... It Has Shaken Judicial Justice"

"We Will Do Everything Through the Second Comprehensive Special Counsel Investigation"

On the 19th, Jeong Cheongrae, leader of the Democratic Party, criticized the fact that former President Yoon Sukyeol was sentenced to life imprisonment on charges of leading an insurrection, saying, "By sentencing him to life imprisonment instead of the death penalty, Chief Justice Cho Heedae's judiciary has shaken judicial justice."

At the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly that afternoon, Jeong said, "The minimum sentence applicable to the crime of leading an insurrection is life imprisonment," and added, "Today's ruling is a judgment that deliberately turned a blind eye to the Revolution of Light that defended democracy bare-handed against the December 3 Martial Law."

On the 19th, when the court sentenced former president Yoon Sukyeol, who had been indicted on charges of leading an insurrection, to life imprisonment, Jung Cheongrae, leader of the Democratic Party, held a draft of a prepared message (in the event of a death sentence) and spoke at a Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

Regarding the judiciary, he pointed out that it "postponed what should have been a clear and historic judgment." Jeong recalled, "The place where former President Yoon stood to be sentenced to life imprisonment was the very same spot, the very same courtroom, where Chun Doohwan was sentenced to death 30 years ago," adding, "The misguided practice of the judiciary, which showed leniency to insurrection ringleader Chun Doohwan, has returned today as a tragedy."

He went on to say, "The insurrection committed by a sitting president, which inflicted wounds far deeper, broader, and more painful than Chun Doohwan's insurrection, should have been punished more severely than Chun, but it was not," adding, "I find it deeply regrettable that the court handed down such a ruling."

Jeong said, "I naturally thought the death penalty would be handed down," and then shared the message he had prepared on the assumption of a death sentence. He began by saying, "It has become useless, but I will still read a few lines," and revealed that it started with, "This is a judgment of retributive justice that proves justice in the Republic of Korea is alive and well."

He continued, "By removing him from office in the name of the Constitution and sentencing him to death in the name of the Criminal Code, judicial justice has been restored," adding, "The judgment has affirmed, through the justice of the law, that democracy is inviolable."

Jeong said, "How I wish this had been the reality," but added, "Since there are still the appeals trial and the Supreme Court review ahead, we will not let down our guard." He also stressed, "Even if the judgment on former President Yoon has not met the full expectations of the people, we cannot abandon the spirit of safeguarding judicial justice, the Constitution, and democracy," and added, "Through the second comprehensive special counsel investigation, the Democratic Party will uncover the truth of the 'Noh Sangwon notebook' and do everything in its power to ensure that the ringleader of the insurrection receives the maximum penalty under the law."