People Power Party Heats Up Public Opinion Battle Before Special Prosecutor Law Negotiations... Sang-hwi Lee Says "Democratic Party, KakaoTalk Martial Law"

On the 17th, lawmakers from the People Power Party held a press conference to wage a public opinion battle regarding the arrest of President Yoon Suk-yeol and the Democratic Party's filing of complaints against right-wing YouTubers and supporters. This is interpreted as a strategy to secure a favorable position in negotiations over the special investigation law related to the Democratic Party's emergency martial law incident and to accelerate the decline in the Democratic Party's approval ratings.

Lee Sang-hwi, chairman of the People Power Party's Special Media Committee, held a press conference at the Communication Office at 10 a.m. on the same day, labeling the Democratic Party's creation of a "Democratic Police Station" to receive reports and file complaints against YouTubers and ordinary citizens for spreading false information as a "KakaoTalk Martial Law," and arranged for organizations to support the defendants in lawsuits.

Since direct legal support from the People Power Party to the YouTubers who were reported could be considered voter donation under the Public Official Election Act, they requested assistance from civic groups.

For legal support of the defendants, organizations such as Media Victims Solidarity Unpressing, Media Human Rights Center, Economic and Social Lawyers Association Media Monitoring Team, and the civic group Gil are participating and operating under the name Freedom of Expression Solidarity.

Im Eung-su, CEO of Unpressing, criticized, "Six people mysteriously died in connection with the case involving Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party. It is known that these deaths were due to the pressure of the investigation," adding, "I want to ask if Leader Lee intends to make even the people take their own lives."

So Jeong-im, a lawyer at the Media Human Rights Center, said, "Lawyers belonging to the Freedom of Expression Solidarity will take on the Democratic Party's KakaoTalk Martial Law defendant cases as public interest lawsuits," and added, "We will protect the basic rights and daily lives of the people."

On the morning of January 3rd, as officials from the Corruption Investigation Office entered the presidential residence in Hannam-dong, Seoul, to execute an arrest warrant for President Yoon Seok-yeol, his supporters gathered near the residence, holding Taegeukgi and U.S. flags along with signs demanding verification of election fraud, chanting slogans. Photo by Heo Young-han

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This is interpreted as a move to defend supporters who opposed President Yoon's arrest and are now under investigation, while maintaining momentum to attack Leader Lee Jae-myung and the Democratic Party.

The People Power Party opposes the inclusion of charges such as incitement and propaganda of rebellion within the scope of the special investigation proposed by the Democratic Party, arguing that "it allows for broad investigations targeting ordinary citizens." On the same day, Kwon Seong-dong, floor leader of the People Power Party, stated at the floor strategy meeting, "(The special investigation) allows unlimited investigation not only of the government and ruling party but also of ordinary citizens, granting public authority to control and monitor the entire population," and claimed, "The Democratic Party will have a Gestapo under the name of a special investigation."

In addition, although President Yoon's arrest warrant review was dismissed by the Seoul Central District Court the day before, claims continue that there were illegalities during the re-execution of the arrest warrant by the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Unit (PCC).

Including Seong Il-jong, chairman of the National Defense Committee and a member of the People Power Party, ruling party members of the National Defense Committee claimed at the National Assembly in the morning that they had identified circumstances suggesting that the official document received by the PCC to enter the presidential residence during the re-execution of President Yoon's arrest warrant was a "forged document with proxy signature."

Accordingly, the People Power Party is considering filing a complaint against the PCC for abuse of authority and obstruction of military official duties. Representative Seong criticized, "Proxy signing itself is a crime," adding, "From the perspective of the security commander, it must have felt like pressure and is clearly an act of coercion."

Yonhap News

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