Park Yong-jin "Lee Jae-myung opposed Lee Jae-yong's pardon but changed stance... Hypocrisy"

Park Yong-jin, Democratic Party of Korea member. [Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jumi Lee] Park Yong-jin, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea who declared his presidential bid, repeatedly criticized Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung for changing his stance on the pardon of Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong.

On the 20th, at a seminar held at Cafe House in Yeouido, Seoul, themed "Educational Innovation and a Country Where Children Are Happy," Park explained, "During the last presidential election, Governor Lee pressured Moon Jae-in and Ahn Hee-jung to jointly declare that 'pardons for the Park Geun-hye and Lee Jae-yong state manipulation forces are absolutely impossible.'"

He continued, "Recently, he has backed away from the issue, saying 'It is not something I should talk about.' If he thought that way before, shouldn't he clearly state it now as well?"

Park emphasized, "What candidates say should not differ from what they say when they become presidents or members of the National Assembly. They should not apply double standards. Politicians must act according to principles."

On the same day (the 20th), Park released a press statement titled "Regarding the Lee Jae-yong Pardon Issue, Governor Lee, I am Disappointed," criticizing Governor Lee once again.

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

Park said, "What disappoints the public the most is when politicians change their stance after becoming the ruling party, or when their words as candidates differ from those as presidents or members of the National Assembly. Somehow, I am the only one opposing the pardon of Lee Jae-yong, while others either support it or suggest approaching it cautiously, making the situation difficult. I thought Governor Lee would speak with me on this," he pointed out.

Previously, in March 2017, Governor Lee had insisted, "To clear out deep-rooted evils, we should jointly declare a policy of no pardons for the Park Geun-hye former president, Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, and other state manipulation forces."

On the other hand, on the 18th, he expressed his opinion on the pardon of Vice Chairman Lee, saying, "This is a matter requiring a highly political judgment, and I believe it is something the president will decide according to the will of the people." He expressed a similar opinion regarding the pardons of former Presidents Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye.

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