"No Such Movement Within the Party"... Jo Eung-cheon Dismisses Possibility of Lee Jae-myung's Early Resignation

"Political Regret, Not Legal Responsibility, Should Be Expressed"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] Jo Eung-cheon, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) considered to be part of the anti-Lee Jae-myung faction, dismissed the possibility of Lee Jae-myung, the DPK leader, resigning early. However, he reiterated the need for a political expression of regret regarding a series of situations, including the detention of Lee’s close aides.

On the 24th, Jo appeared on MBC Radio's "Kim Jong-bae's Focus" and was asked about the necessity of former DPK leader Lee Nak-yeon’s return. He responded, "The media keeps stoking that fire, but there is no such movement within the party," adding, "It is a pathology of the media focusing on articles that increase click counts."

This was his response to the possibility of forming a new leadership within the party amid concerns over Lee Jae-myung’s potential judicial risks.

Jo spoke about the need for Lee’s expression of regret in relation to the detention of Lee’s close aide, Jeong Jin-sang, the political secretary, who is currently undergoing a detention review, and Kim Yong, former deputy director of the Democratic Research Institute, who remains in custody.

He said, "We must fully respond to the prosecution’s flawed investigation, such as the lack of fairness or the pre-indictment public disclosure of alleged facts that already paint someone as guilty. We need to raise our voices and unite in opposition to these unfair standards." However, he expressed concern, saying, "It is risky for the party to take the lead in responding to the facts and circumstances. In the past, official party bodies, spokespeople, or party leadership have never directly responded to the facts themselves."

This was a criticism of the Democratic Party’s active explanations whenever prosecution-related articles about Jeong or Kim were published.

He also emphasized the need for Lee to express regret. Jo said, "This is not an expression of regret implying legal responsibility, but a political expression of regret." He introduced the precedent, saying, "Political leaders at the leadership level have historically clarified responsibility to some extent through expressions of regret regarding the detention of their closest aides or family members or any scandals."

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