Ruling and Opposition Presidential Candidates Launch Full-Scale Offensive Against Yoon

Jung Sye-kyun "Shocking Large-scale Gate Possible Violation of Democratic Principles"
Lee Jae-myung "Something That Could Happen in the Yushin Era"

Choi Jae-hyung "Truth Must Be Revealed"
Hong Joon-pyo "Yoon Must Explain Directly"

Six months ahead of next year's presidential election, presidential candidates from both ruling and opposition parties have simultaneously pointed their guns at former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol over allegations of his side's involvement in 'prosecutorial indictment orders against ruling party politicians.'

Yoon Seok-yeol, the People Power Party's presidential primary candidate, is entering the conference room at the Christian Hall in Jongno-gu, Seoul, to hold a meeting with the representative union organizations of the Korean church and lay organizations. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

Former Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun appeared on CBS Radio on the morning of the 3rd and said, "This is a direct violation of the basic principles of democracy," adding, "It should be seen as a political conspiracy and is likely to become a shocking major gate." He further stated, "The fact that indictment documents or evidence were even delivered to the opposition party at the time means that the Yoon Seok-yeol prosecution and the opposition party can be seen as one entity," interpreting this issue as a problem for the entire opposition camp.

Members of Governor Lee Jae-myung's Open Camp in Gyeonggi Province held an emergency press conference that morning, targeting the issue as a "sinister political conspiracy that could have only existed during the Yushin era." They emphasized the need for not only the Supreme Prosecutors' Office but also the Ministry of Justice to launch a joint investigation, as well as a parliamentary response through the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee. They also warned, "If even part of this is proven true, a state audit and investigation by the High-ranking Officials' Corruption Investigation Office will be unavoidable."

As the ruling party showed signs of expanding the issue, the opposition appeared to be on high alert. A People Power Party official expressed concern, saying, "Beyond the interests of individual candidate camps, the entire opposition's presidential election landscape could be shaken." However, both ruling and opposition presidential candidates have voiced the need for a swift uncovering of the truth.

Former Board of Audit and Inspection Chairman Choi Jae-hyung stated at a press conference that day, "This case involves the political neutrality of the prosecution and the morality of presidential candidates, so the truth must be revealed." However, he added, "If this is a political conspiracy, I will join the movement to overthrow the regime," demanding, "The party must also take action to uncover the truth." Former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min emphasized in a statement, "Confirming the facts is the top priority, and it must not be exploited for political attacks," while former lawmaker Jang Sung-min said on the radio, "This is a serious situation for the opposition and could create a black hole effect on the massive movement yearning for regime change," urging, "I hope for a swift response."

Hong Joon-pyo, a People Power Party lawmaker who is rapidly closing in on former Prosecutor General Yoon in the party's presidential primary, has been reserved in his remarks. Yeomyeong, spokesperson for Hong's presidential campaign, appeared on a radio show and said, "He is someone who has received the voters' expectations for regime change, so if true, this is a very serious matter." Hong himself mentioned at a meeting with reporters the previous day, "It would be appropriate for candidate Yoon to explain directly." The spokesperson added, "He briefly responded to reporters' questions and is now watching the situation seriously."

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