Hong Joon-pyo to Lee Jun-seok: "What You're Going Through Now Is Mild, Think of It as 'Karma'... There's Still a Long Time Ahead"

Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo on Lee Jun-seok's '6-month Party Membership Suspension'
"Calmly Resolve the Situation and Focus on Judicial Procedures to Clear False Charges"

Hong Jun-pyo, a member of the People Power Party, is attending the 'In-depth Survey Results National Report Meeting' held at the Glad Hotel in Yeouido, Seoul on the 29th, greeting Lee Jun-seok, the party leader. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] On the 10th, Hong Joon-pyo, Mayor of Daegu, left a message for Lee Jun-seok, leader of the People Power Party, saying, "Consider it karma. Come back more mature. There is still a lot of time left."

On that day, Mayor Hong wrote on his Facebook, "Calmly sort out the situation and focus only on the judicial procedures to clear your name," adding, "I like every aspect of Leader Lee."

He questioned, "During the Bareunmirae Party days, how harshly did you speak out to push aside senior leader Sohn Hak-kyu?" and said, "Consider what you are going through now as mild compared to that."

On the 8th, Mayor Hong also posted an advisory message to Leader Lee on Facebook. He said, "'One cannot be the judge in their own case' is a representative saying that well explains the principle of natural justice," adding, "It is neither the leader's authority nor appropriate for the leader to suspend their own disciplinary issue."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Mayor Hong advised 'recharging.' He told Leader Lee, "Rather, take the tired mind and body as a rest period, do not resign from the leadership position, and observe the acting leadership system for six months to have time to recharge." He also said, "Once you clear your name, you will be able to return upgraded as a new Lee Jun-seok." He emphasized, "Now is the time to think of the country first," and "This is not the time for internal party struggles."

He said, "I also had an experience in March 2017, before the impeachment presidential election, when I was unfairly involved in the 'Sung Wan-jong list' case and had my party membership suspended for one year and six months," adding, "When the appeal trial resulted in a not guilty verdict, the party made a strange decision to suspend the suspension of the party membership suspension, restoring my party membership, and I was able to run as a presidential candidate and party leader."

Earlier, the People Power Party Central Ethics Committee decided after an approximately eight-hour 'marathon meeting' from 7 p.m. on the 7th to early morning on the 8th to impose a six-month suspension of party membership on Leader Lee. No judgment was made regarding the allegations of sexual bribery against Leader Lee that had been raised so far.

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