Jung Sung-ho "Lee Jae-myung has no intention of political revenge... What is the Democratic Party afraid of?"

Published 13 Mar.2025 09:30(KST)

"If the Administration Changes, Special Prosecution Laws Like the Myung Tae-gyun Case Will Be Properly Investigated"

Jeong Seong-ho, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, commented on the ruling party's criticism of Lee Jae-myung, the leading opposition presidential candidate and leader of the Democratic Party, saying, "It seems to be rooted in a fear of political retaliation," and added, "However, Lee frequently states that he has no intention of political retaliation."

On the 13th, during MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus,' Jeong claimed, "What President Yoon Seok-yeol has done since taking office is to investigate and indict Lee, demonizing him in the process," and added, "This seems to have somewhat worked on ruling party lawmakers." He explained, "People say Lee has four prior convictions, so the public perceives him as a serious criminal, but all were fines, and one of them is no longer considered a crime."

He continued, "Considering the drive Lee showed as mayor of Seongnam and governor of Gyeonggi Province, and how he quickly reorganized the party as its leader to secure victory in the general election, it appears the ruling party has a great fear of losing power."

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is speaking at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 12th. 2025.3.12 Photo by Kim Hyun-min

He also stated that if Lee is elected president, investigations into the special prosecution laws led by the opposition, such as those concerning Myung Tae-gyun, Chae Sang-byeong, and First Lady Kim Geon-hee, will be properly conducted. Jeong said, "If the regime changes, the prosecution will properly investigate the Myung Tae-gyun special prosecution law currently under investigation," and added, "Regarding the First Lady Kim special prosecution law, the investigation has progressed significantly, and since various charges have emerged, it seems only a decision on whether to indict remains." He further noted, "We cannot cover up suspicions out of fear of accusations of political retaliation," emphasizing, "The president and ruling party cannot incapacitate national investigative agencies; it is a matter to be judged based on the situation."

Regarding President Yoon's impeachment trial verdict, Jeong said, "Although it is theoretically possible to notify the verdict date today and deliver the verdict tomorrow, there has been almost no precedent for notifying the verdict date the day before," and predicted, "The verdict will likely be postponed to next week." He added, "The public is very anxious," and urged, "For political stability and the swift restoration of national governance, it is the Constitutional Court's duty to deliver the impeachment verdict as soon as possible."