Lee Jae-myung: "The President Comforted Me Saying 'You've Been Through a Lot'... Cho Kuk Suffered from 'Selective Justice'"

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] Lee Jae-myung, the leading presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea and Governor of Gyeonggi Province, said that regarding the intense scrutiny from competitors during the primary process, "President Moon Jae-in comforted me with a cup of tea and said, 'You have been through a lot emotionally.'"

Lee appeared on the YouTube channel 'Park Si-young TV' on the 14th and said, "A few days ago, I went to the Blue House for a meeting of metropolitan area heads." Referring to his leading role in the attacks against then-candidate Moon Jae-in during the 19th presidential election primary, he said, "(It was) my karma. After experiencing it firsthand, I feel sorry to President Moon."

Regarding former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk, he said, "I was a victim of selective justice," emphasizing, "Former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl exercised selective justice and specifically targeted Cho Kuk." He added, "Yoon Seok-youl played the media to conduct a witch hunt against Cho Kuk. I was treated the same way," and mentioned, "I frequently keep in touch with Cho Kuk." He also spoke about prosecutorial reform, saying, "I suffered tremendous personal damage," and added, "There is no choice but to say that Cho Kuk and I share a bond of mutual suffering."

About Yoon Seok-youl, who has emerged as a leading opposition presidential candidate, he said, "(As the unified opposition candidate) he is the most likely." He added, "It would not be good if Yoon's approval rating drops too quickly. From the party's perspective, having a strong opponent like Yoon Seok-youl strengthens internal unity." He also said, "Former Minister of Justice Chu Mi-ae is the person who made me," explaining, "When Chu was party leader, I almost got 'out' of the party. If she had not been the party leader, I probably would have been stripped of my party membership." Lee emphasized, "I owe a great deal to Chu Mi-ae," and said, "She has helped me a lot and rescued me when I was in trouble."

Regarding the 'Kim Bu-seon scandal,' he said, "It is true that I lack a lot in character, I have lived roughly, and my background is humble, so I have some shortcomings," but added, "However, what I am confident about is that there is nothing problematic as a public official."

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