Hataekyung on the Rejection of Arrest Warrant for 'Shoe Throwing' Man: "Expected... Moon Jae-in Aided the Warrant Request"

Ha Tae-kyung, a member of the United Future Party, speaking at the appointment ceremony of the 'Incheon International Airport Fair Recruitment Task Force' held at the National Assembly on the 6th. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Yeon-ju] On the 20th, Rep. Ha Tae-kyung of the United Future Party evaluated the denial of the arrest warrant for a man in his 50s who threw a shoe at President Moon Jae-in as he was leaving after a speech at the National Assembly as "an expected outcome."

Rep. Ha said in a post on his Facebook that day, "He did not throw it to hit the president but as a protest performance, so applying for an arrest warrant over this was unreasonable from the start."

Earlier, the Seoul Southern District Court held a warrant hearing on the 19th for Jeong Mo (57), who is accused of obstructing official duties and trespassing, and denied the arrest warrant. The court stated that there was no concern that Jeong would destroy evidence or flee, and that the justification and necessity for detention were insufficient.

Rep. Ha pointed out, "President Moon Jae-in, who is a human rights lawyer, would know this better than anyone," adding, "The unreasonable request for an arrest warrant was merely a gesture by the police to curry favor with the president, who holds personnel authority."

He continued, "The problem is the president's silence," and criticized, "Although the president is the party concerned, he remained silent about the arrest warrant application. In fact, he tacitly allowed the warrant request."

Jeong Mo (57), who was arrested for throwing a shoe at President Moon Jae-in as he was leaving a speech at the National Assembly, is seen on the afternoon of the 19th heading to the Seoul Southern District Court in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, to undergo a pre-arrest detention hearing (warrant review).
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Rep. Ha Tae-kyung emphasized, "If the president were inclusive, he would have just laughed it off and said it was due to his own shortcomings or that he would do better, and that the arrest was excessive," adding, "However, the president remained silent, ultimately revealing only his narrow-mindedness to the public."

He continued, "Pro-Moon supporters urged the arrest of the shoe thrower, saying that in Iraq, people received three-year prison sentences," and added, "The future of South Korea that pro-Moon supporters desire is Iraq."

He further stated, "President Moon missed a good opportunity for national unity this time. If he had been magnanimous and inclusive, it could have been a turning point for national unity," but criticized, "However, it has been confirmed that President Moon is engaging in politics looking only at pro-Moon supporters, not the entire nation."

Earlier, Jeong was arrested on the spot on the 16th at around 3:20 p.m. in front of the second-floor entrance of the main building of the National Assembly for allegedly throwing a shoe at President Moon Jae-in, who was leaving after delivering a speech at the opening ceremony of the 21st National Assembly (charges of obstructing official duties and trespassing).

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