Opposition: "Kim Yong and Jeong Jinsang Warrants Mention 'Lee Jae-myung' 50 and 72 Times... Forcibly Inserted"

Democratic Party Holds Press Briefing on 10th to Condemn Search and Seizure by Prosecution's Authoritarian Political Suppression Committee
Jo Jeong-sik: "A Conspiracy Investigation to Kill the Leader of the Main Opposition Party"
Kim Eui-gyeom: "The Allegations Are Extremely Weak and Inadequate"
428 Billion Won Expected from Daejang-dong Project to Be Shared? Jo Sang-ho: "There Was No Such Promise"

[Asia Economy Reporters Oh Ju-yeon and Park Jun-i] The Democratic Party of Korea strongly opposed the prosecution's search and seizure of Jeong Jin-sang, Director of Political Coordination at the Party Leader's Secretariat, which took place yesterday following the search of Kim Yong, Deputy Director of the Democratic Research Institute. The party stated, "An unprecedented act was carried out where the prosecution forcibly entered the National Assembly's main building, the core of the legislature, solely to suppress Representative Lee Jae-myung and the Democratic Party," calling it "a fabricated investigation aimed at destroying the leader of the main opposition party."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 10th, the Democratic Party's Committee Against Prosecution Dictatorship and Political Oppression held a press conference in the Party Leader's meeting room in the National Assembly main building, stating, "An unprecedented suppression of the opposition party in constitutional history and a search and seizure of the National Assembly main building have been carried out."

Representative Park Chan-dae criticized, "The search warrant presented by the prosecution was a fabrication that did not grasp the basic facts," adding, "It seems the prosecution was desperate enough to submit a hastily prepared warrant. This is a forced investigation relying solely on testimonies without physical evidence."

He referred to media reports claiming that Kim Yong, Deputy Director of the Democratic Research Institute, Jeong, and former Headquarters Director Yoo Dong-gyu received 42.8 billion KRW from private contractors involved in the Daejang-dong project and planned to divide it among themselves. "According to the prosecution's claim, former Headquarters Director Yoo gave Jeong 30 million KRW. If 42.8 billion KRW is divided into three parts, each would get 14.26 billion KRW, so does it make sense to say that a bribe of 30 million KRW was given?" he questioned.

He continued, "The prosecution's media play is also excessive. After Deputy Director Kim was arrested, there were 85 exclusive reports from the prosecution in 20 days, which is a clear disclosure of suspect information."

Representative Jo Jeong-sik also criticized the prosecution regarding yesterday's search and seizure, stating, "They withdrew empty-handed without seizing any items," and said, "The meaning of an empty-handed search is obvious. From the beginning, they did not come to obtain anything but to intimidate and destroy Representative Lee Jae-myung and the Democratic Party through a thoroughly calculated political operation." He added, "It was a planned investigation aimed at prolonging prosecution dictatorship to dismantle the Democratic Party and target the next presidential election after the general election."

They also pointed out that the prosecution forcibly included Representative Lee Jae-myung's name in the warrants with impure political intentions.

Representative Kim Ui-gyeom explained, "Deputy Director Kim's warrant mentions Representative Lee's name about 50 times, and yesterday's search warrant for Director Jeong mentions his name about 72 times. However, there is no content related to the criminal facts indicating that Representative Lee received reports or gave instructions to Director Jeong or Deputy Director Kim."

Representative Kim said, "The warrant content was written with a highly impure political purpose to imprint the name 'Lee Jae-myung' repeatedly in the reports by inserting his name countless times."

Meanwhile, regarding the same party's Representative Jo Eung-cheon’s radio comment that "even without evidence, a promise to divide the proceeds can be grounds for guilt," they drew a line, calling it a "theoretical statement."

Deputy Director of the Democratic Party Legal Committee Cho Sang-ho emphasized, "'Bribery is guilty if there is a promise' is a theoretical statement, and (Director Jeong) did not have such a promise."

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