Lee Jae-myung, Against Whose Arrest Warrant Was Requested, Says "The Day Rule of Law Collapsed... I Will Face It Calmly" (Comprehensive)

Opposition Arises Regarding the Legitimacy of the Arrest Warrant Request and More

[Asia Economy Reporters Naju-seok and Park Jun-i] Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, on the 16th condemned the prosecution's request for a pre-arrest warrant, saying, "Today is the day the Yoon Seok-yeol prosecutor dictatorship regime considered the privatization of prosecutorial power," and "It is the day the rule of law collapsed solely for the purpose of removing personal political opponents."

Lee held an unscheduled Supreme Council meeting in the afternoon and expressed his position on the prosecution's arrest warrant request. At the meeting, he said, "What I did was to develop the region and resolve residents' long-standing projects according to legal procedures with the authority given to the mayor of Seongnam, and to return some of the excessive profits that had gone to the private sector back to the citizens of Seongnam," adding, "I have never committed a single act of corruption nor taken a single penny of illicit money."

He continued, "For years, the prosecution, police, and the Board of Audit and Inspection, as higher authorities, have thoroughly investigated like dusting off dirt, but apart from inconsistent testimonies and statements from related parties, no evidence of crime was found," asserting, "Because there was no criminal fact."

He also opposed the request for an arrest warrant. Lee said, "With the price bomb and interest bomb destroying the lives of the people, would the leader of the main opposition party responsible for half of the national administration leave the people?" and questioned, "Would I, whose every move is broadcast live, abandon my family and run away?" He added, "After years of investigation, over a hundred searches and seizures, and hundreds of related parties questioned, is there any evidence left to destroy?" and "My residence with my family is clear, and although it is shameful, I have sincerely cooperated with investigations whenever called." He further stated, "Anyone with a bit of legal common sense can see there is no reason for detention," and "This arrest warrant request will be recorded in history as an unprecedented case."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Lee said, "No power can defeat the people and the truth," and "The dictatorship manipulated the truth and oppressed the regime, but the dictator was punished and history progressed." He concluded by saying, "I will resolutely oppose the prosecutor dictatorship regime that destroys the constitutional order."

Park Hong-geun, floor leader of the Democratic Party, also said, "The request for an arrest warrant for Lee is something that should never happen in an advanced democratic republic like South Korea," and "President Yoon has chosen tyranny beyond governance. History proves how those who committed tyranny ended."

Park added, "The prosecution's request for an arrest warrant is legally unjustified," and "It is a political warrant that does not meet the minimum conditions for detaining the party leader. There is no criminal fact against Lee Jae-myung."

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