Lee Jae-myung: "I am not afraid of political execution, but I fear economic execution"

Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] Lee Jae-myung, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, said on the 24th, ahead of the Supreme Court's final ruling on his election law violation case, "I am not afraid of political execution, but I am afraid of economic execution."

On the same day, Lee posted on his Facebook under the title "If it is fate, I do not want to delay time," stating, "The claim that I applied for a constitutional review to prolong my governorship or that I benefited from the delay of the ruling is deeply insulting."

He said, "During my time as mayor of Seongnam, I endured investigations and audits almost every three out of four days. I was able to work because I was neither afraid nor regretful of what I might lose," adding, "Compared to seniors who were falsely accused as spies, suffered judicial murder, and were ruined by torture that damaged their entire bodies, what I stand to lose is too small no matter how much I exaggerate."

He continued, "Although I am called having a steel mentality, I am also a timid head of a family to support, and now a weak being growing old," and said, "I am only regretful to be freed from the weight of responsibility, which is not a privilege, and I am not afraid of losing the governorship and being deprived of the right to run for office, which is 'political execution.'"

He added, "At the twilight of life, 'economic execution' is actually frightening," and said, "I face an enormous debt of election fund repayment that I cannot fully repay even if I give all my assets and live another life, and inevitably, a life as a credit delinquent awaits me."

Lee said, "As both the first and second trial courts recognized, my older brother needed compulsory diagnosis and treatment under the law due to mental illness, and the public health center's attempt and suspension of compulsory diagnosis was not an abuse of power but a lawful administrative act," adding, "Rather, due to dereliction of duty by suspending diagnosis and treatment, my brother missed the opportunity for treatment, his symptoms worsened, and he passed away earlier."

He continued, "When cruel false slanders claiming that I tried to illegally force my healthy brother into a psychiatric hospital ran rampant, Kim Young-hwan asked about the suspicion during a debate, and I denied it and truthfully said that lawful compulsory diagnosis was conducted but then suspended."

He also claimed, "Even though it was a simple personal accusation case, a special police investigation team of nearly 30 people created a fabricated case, and the prosecution, which hid evidence of innocence and assembled the truth with false pieces, dragged me to the execution ground."

Lee said, "If I have to be freed anyway, I want to be freed sooner rather than later. Even if my neck is on the guillotine, the responsibility for governing 13.6 million people is a heavy and difficult burden," and added, "I do not want to extend anxiety based on fear even for a moment longer. Even if you cannot empathize with the hardship, I hope you do not mock the pain."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.