Yoon on Jusa-pa Remarks: "Not Targeting Specific Individuals"... On Prosecutors' Investigation, "Not Idle Enough to Monitor"

President Yoon: "The President is Responsible for Upholding the Constitution and National Security"
On Opposition's Claims of Suppression: "Is Such a Claim Truly Justified... When the Opposition Was the Ruling Party, Media Outlets Were Raided for Days"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] Regarding President Yoon Seok-yeol's remark that "cooperation with pro-North Korean Juche faction is impossible," which drew backlash from the Democratic Party of Korea, he stated, "Whether someone is part of the Juche faction or not is something they themselves know well. I was not targeting any specific individual."

On the opposition party's criticism that the prosecution's arrest of Kim Yong, deputy director of the Democratic Research Institute, and the attempted search of the Democratic Research Institute within the Democratic Party headquarters the day before was a planned crackdown, he drew a clear line, saying, "I am not so free as to keep track of investigation details."

On the 20th, during a door-stepping (brief Q&A on the way to work) at the Yongsan Presidential Office, President Yoon responded this way when a reporter asked about the opposition's backlash to his Juche faction remarks.

He further explained that "the president is responsible for upholding the constitution and protecting the nation, and since that topic came up, I answered accordingly," emphasizing it was a fundamental stance as president.

At a luncheon meeting with non-incumbent party branch chiefs of the People Power Party the previous day, when one branch chief mentioned recent provocations and threats from North Korea and said they must not be overwhelmed by pro-North Juche faction forces, President Yoon said, "If you sympathize with freedom and democracy, whether progressive or leftist, cooperation and compromise are possible, but the Juche faction that follows North Korea is neither progressive nor leftist. Cooperation with hostile anti-state forces is impossible."

The Democratic Party protested, asking if the "pro-North Juche faction" mentioned by President Yoon was aimed at the Democratic Party. Senior spokesperson Ahn Ho-young pointed out in a written briefing, "The Economic, Social and Labor Council chairman (Kim Moon-soo) appointed by the president called a former president a 'Kim Il-sungist,' and now President Yoon is slandering the main opposition party as the pro-North Juche faction?"

Regarding the opposition's criticism that the prosecution's investigation is political suppression or a planned crackdown by the presidential office, he replied, "Regarding the investigation, I only know what I have seen in media reports or been briefed on; I am not so free as to keep track of investigation details."

President Yoon also emphasized, "However, when talk of political suppression arises, if you consider that the opposition party, during its time as the ruling party, conducted days-long searches of media companies, I think the public will well understand whether such claims are justified."

The Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 3 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Kang Baek-shin) arrested Kim Yong, deputy director of the Democratic Research Institute and classified as a close aide to Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung, on charges of receiving illegal political funds related to the Wirye and Daejang-dong new town developments the day before, and attempted to search the Democratic Research Institute inside the Yeouido Democratic Party headquarters until around 10:50 p.m. the same day.

In response, Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung said at an emergency party meeting held at the National Assembly that day, "This is the first time in the history of the Republic of Korea that the opposition party's central party office has been searched during a national audit," and protested, saying, "This is not politics; this is outright suppression."

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