Justice Party: "The Day Rule of Law Died... President Moon Must Apologize to Citizens"

Lee Dong-young Chief Spokesperson: "Lee Jae-yong's Parole Release Effectively Opens the Path to Lee Jae-yong's Pardon"
"Not 'Everyone is Equal Before the Law' but 'Only Ten Thousand Are Equal'"

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Joo-yeon] On the 13th, the Justice Party strongly criticized the parole release of Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, calling it "the day the rule of law died" and demanding that "President Moon Jae-in apologize."

On the morning of the same day, Lee Dong-young, the Justice Party's chief spokesperson, held a briefing at the National Assembly Communication Office, stating, "This morning, Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong was released on parole. It is the day the rule of law in the Republic of Korea died," and fiercely condemned, "President Moon Jae-in, who is ultimately responsible for this 'trick parole' solely for Lee Jae-yong, by Lee Jae-yong, and for Lee Jae-yong, must apologize to the citizens."

The chief spokesperson pointed out, "This moment will be remembered as the time when judicial distrust and deprivation deeply rooted in the hearts of ordinary citizens, not a country where everyone is equal before the law, but where only ten thousand people are equal before the law, took hold."

Lee Jae-yong, Vice Chairman of Samsung Electronics, who was released on parole after 207 days of re-imprisonment, is leaving Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province on the 13th. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung, Uiwang aymsdream@

He continued, "Today’s parole release of Lee Jae-yong is practically no different from opening the path for Lee Jae-yong’s pardon," adding, "No one doubts that the government and ruling party will soon lift the employment restrictions on Lee Jae-yong after his parole. Since they released Lee Jae-yong, an accomplice in the state affairs manipulation scandal, under the pretext of 'reviving the economy,' the pardon of the main culprit of the state affairs manipulation, 'Park Geun-hye,' is as obvious as daylight."

The chief spokesperson emphasized that not only Vice Chairman Lee but also Lee Joong-geun, chairman of Booyoung Group who embezzled a large sum of money, was released on parole. In particular, he noted that the reasons for Lee’s parole were not even disclosed, evaluating that 'a reckless conglomerate pardon' was pushed under the pretext of 'reviving the economy' taking advantage of the difficulties during the COVID-19 period.

The chief spokesperson criticized, "One cannot help but ask whether the government’s urgent and desperate focus should be on conglomerate pardons," and added, "Citizens inevitably feel a strong sense of betrayal at the fact that the Moon Jae-in administration, which claimed to be a reformist force, was nothing more than the same old vested interests."

He then said, "Instead of devising a 'trick parole' that pardons conglomerates while avoiding responsibility and criticism, the Moon Jae-in administration should now consider pardons for the vulnerable suffering from the COVID-19 disaster."

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