Opposition: "The Main Culprits Are the President and the Democratic Party" vs Ruling Party: "We Want to Believe in Kim Kyung-su's Innocence"

Governor Lee Jae-myung said, "It's unfortunate. I can't say more..."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Cheol-eung] The political sphere is shaken by the confirmed guilty verdict of former Gyeongnam Governor Kim Kyung-soo. The opposition views this as a problem of legitimacy and morality for the entire ruling party. It is seen as another example of ‘naeronambul’ (double standards). The ruling party still defends former Governor Kim and tries to block the offensive, but Lee Jae-myung, Governor of Gyeonggi Province who competed with President Moon Jae-in in the last presidential primary, appears somewhat distanced.

On the 22nd, Lee Jun-seok, leader of the People Power Party, demanded an apology from President Moon at the Supreme Council meeting. Kim Ki-hyun, the floor leader, also said at the same meeting, "It is never over just because one person, Kim Kyung-soo, was arrested," adding, "The main culprit is President Moon and the Democratic Party." This indicates their plan to make this issue a main point of criticism in the upcoming presidential election.

President Moon maintains relatively high approval ratings even in his final year in office. From the People Power Party’s perspective, strongly raising the issue of President Moon’s responsibility could be a stepping stone to gaining an advantageous position in the presidential race. Ahn Cheol-soo, leader of the People’s Party, also criticized at the Supreme Council meeting, "The closest aide committed a crime destroying democracy through the largest scale of public opinion manipulation in world democratic history, and the person who benefited the most from that crime is President Moon Jae-in, yet there is no stance or response."

The Democratic Party is focusing on drawing a line. Yoon Ho-jung, floor leader of the Democratic Party, downplayed the issue at the policy coordination meeting, saying, "It is a case interpreted as consent or instruction because (former Governor Kim) either did not know that active supporters were using illegal means to help or, even if he knew, he could not actively discourage it."

Former Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun also appeared on the radio, saying, "I do not think this is an incident that could affect the election results. It is inappropriate to overinterpret and attack." He emphasized, "The president should not be dragged into this and defamed." Choi In-ho, Democratic Party lawmaker and head of Lee Nak-yeon’s campaign situation office, said on the radio, "It was an election where there was no reason to use illegal methods. I still want to believe former Governor Kim’s consistent claim of innocence."

However, in the same broadcast, Governor Lee expressed restraint, saying, "From a human emotional perspective, I felt truly sorry. I am reluctant to say more about this issue... It was regrettable." Unlike other presidential candidates, since he competed with President Moon in the last presidential primary, he is somewhat free from the issue and is interpreted as taking a stance that there is no need to be involved in the case.

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