Park Ji-won: "Lee Jae-myung's hunger strike should not be belittled... Prosecution, if summoned, it's simple"

"Kim Young-sam and Kim Dae-jung Protected Democracy Through Hunger Strikes"
"Prosecutors Unable to Request Warrants"

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, marked his first anniversary in office by declaring a hunger strike on the grounds of opposing the discharge of contaminated water from Fukushima, which has drawn critical reactions from the media. In response, former National Intelligence Service Director Park Ji-won emphasized that "Lee's hunger strike should not be disparaged," highlighting it as a form of protest.

On the 1st, Park Ji-won said on YTN's "News King Park Ji-hoon" program, "I want to see Lee's hunger strike as a continuation of how former leaders Kim Young-sam and Kim Dae-jung protected democracy through their hunger strikes."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Earlier, on his social media, Park also compared Lee's hunger strike to those of former Presidents Kim Young-sam and Kim Dae-jung. He stated, "If some disparage Lee's hunger strike, that is unacceptable. The democracy that Kim Dae-jung and Kim Young-sam sought to restore must be recovered," adding, "Lee's hunger strike must continue to the point that it causes discomfort to the President."

There are also suspicions that Lee's hunger strike is a "shield hunger strike." Regarding this, Park Ji-won said, "(If the prosecution) summons him, isn't it simple?" and added, "He should go if summoned. I am saying the prosecution should not conduct investigations politically."

He further stated, "Why don't they request an arrest warrant during the non-session period? Then they say they will request it in September? This is like putting the Democratic Party into a litmus test to promote division within the party," and explained, "The prosecution did not request an arrest warrant during the non-session period because it would be dismissed by the judiciary, so they are avoiding it and planning to do it in September." The September warrant request is seen as an attempt to shake the Democratic Party through a motion to consent to arrest.

Park Ji-won also said that the prosecution would not be able to request the warrant. He said, "I bet they won't request the warrant," adding, "Because there must be evidence. And if the judiciary dismisses it, it would be a blow to the prosecution in South Korea."

When asked by the host whether the investigation might drag on and end in a defeat for the prosecution, he replied, "Of course," and added, "Even during the terrifying military regimes in the past, if the prosecution investigated for three or four months and the person did not come out, they would wrap it up."

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