Lee Nak-yeon: "Lee Jae-myung's 'Free Legal Representation' Will Become an Issue Anyway... Better to Explain It Quickly"

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Ju-yeon] Former Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Nak-yeon pressured Gyeonggi Governor Lee Jae-myung over the controversy surrounding 'free legal representation,' saying, "Since it will inevitably become an issue, and if it could also be a legal matter, I think it would be better for them to explain and clarify it quickly for their own sake."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 2nd, Lee appeared on KBS Radio's 'Choi Kyung-young's Strong Current Affairs' and said, "There is not just a lack of explanation about whether the legal representation was free; there is no explanation at all."

Lee's camp is demanding that Lee Jae-myung's side disclose the total amount of attorney fees and the relationship with changes in assets regarding the controversy that Lee received free legal representation from candidates such as Song Doo-hwan, the nominee for the National Human Rights Commission chairman, when Lee was acquitted in the final appeal of an election law violation case. As the allegations escalated to suspicions of 'fee payment on behalf,' Lee's side demanded an official apology from Lee Nak-yeon, saying, "This has crossed a permissible line," and the dispute over the free legal representation controversy between the two sides has not subsided.

Lee Nak-yeon said that day, "I find it hard to agree that this (free legal representation) is just a verbal dispute," adding, "The demolition residents' group filed a complaint. Why is asking for an explanation about that considered an attack?"

He pointed out, "There has been no explanation about the amount of the legal fees," and "Moreover, they say that free legal representation is customary in public interest cases, but the candidate himself said he cannot disclose it because it is private life," which does not make sense.

Lee Nak-yeon criticized, "It was unclear what exactly was referred to as (private life). If it is unclear, it should be clarified."

Regarding Lee Jae-myung's remark calling Lee Nak-yeon camp's lawmaker Yoon Young-chan "absurd," Lee said, "It is very unusual for a candidate to directly target a rank-and-file member like that. I was surprised."

Earlier, Lee Jae-myung expressed regret on Facebook, mentioning Yoon, "He used a photo taken with me during his run for the local parliamentary election in his campaign," and said, "He repeatedly acts against human decency and ethics."

When asked by the host whether Lee Nak-yeon felt a sense of betrayal from Lee Jae-myung's side, he replied, "How many times has that kind of thing happened in politics? It's not just once or twice."

Meanwhile, Lee Nak-yeon also showed confidence in the Chungcheong region that day.

When asked about the prospects of the primary results in the Chungcheong region, Lee said, "There are even talks that I am coming out the best," and added, "I have expectations."

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