Lee Jae-myeong “If you play with power, that’s gangster”… a direct attack on President Yoon

On the 22nd, Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung told President Yoon Seok-yeol, “If you play with state power, that would be a gangster president.” In addition, before the National Assembly’s vote on the motion to arrest, he met with the party’s standing councilors and began to consolidate within the party. On the 23rd, a press conference will be held to say that the prosecution’s request for an arrest warrant is unreasonable. Within the party, public opinion is that the arrest proposal should be rejected, but voices are also concerned about the result, such as a reduction in approval rates.

Representative Lee hit President Yoon directly at the Supreme Council meeting that day, comparing President Yoon’s comments when he was the head of special prosecutor Park Young-soo’s investigation team. At the time, President Yoon said, “If a prosecutor retaliates with the right to investigate, is that a gangster or a prosecutor?” Rep. Lee said, “When a gangster commits an attack, ‘Why are you defending yourself? Saying, ‘Be still,’ I think this is the perception of a gangster.” He also said, “Is it proper for the rulers of the state to abuse the power of the state to kill a certain person like this?” He also said, “The 275th Seizure and Search will become an unprecedented history for Korean prosecutors.”

Representative Lee said, “If you look at the arrest warrant, it says that I colluded with related businesses (Daejang-dong), but if I had colluded, I would have done the private development as they wanted.” You can see how bogus this guarantee is.”

Representative Lee held a meeting with the party’s standing advisory group in the afternoon. It seems that he is trying to gain support from the party elders to reject the arrest proposal. Lee Hae-chan, a senior adviser, said, “I am confident that the arrest motion will be rejected by an overwhelming majority.” Standing councilor Lim Chae-jeong said, “I have a lot of trust in Lee’s representative line,” and standing councilor Lee Yong-deuk said, “Where is Ban Lee Jae-myeong in the Democratic Party? Let’s not give up and unite.”

However, Kwon No-gap, a senior adviser, said, “This time, we will stick together and follow the decision of the medical council, and next time we will stand up proudly and confidently… I have a desire to show the spirit of a good party heir.” After the meeting, Councilor Kwon said, “(After the arrest motion was rejected), we will discuss it again and decide (future course) then.” They say they agree with the rejection of the motion to arrest, but there is no plan to win additional investigations by the prosecution, a re-claim for an arrest warrant, response to trials, and general elections.

Some within the party suggest that President Lee is voluntarily attending the warrant review in order to break new ground. Park Ji-hyeon, former chairman of the Emergency Response Committee, said on KBS radio, “The core of the Democratic Party’s general election strategy is President Lee’s sacrifice and the passage of the motion to arrest.” A member of Bimyeong-gye, who met Lee recently, said, “I asked Lee, ‘I doubt whether the party will be able to hold one position even after voting on the arrest motion. The outcome of the bullet proof party is not easy. Representative Lee himself said, “Please come to the warranty review.”

Representative Lee said the prosecution’s investigation was unfair, and it appears he will continue to fight it. An official from the leadership said, “Seeing that CEO Lee has raised the level of comments like ‘thug’, the tone is unlikely to change.”

Representative Lee will hold a press conference in the National Assembly on the 23rd and appeal against the injustice of the arrest warrant and the arrest motion requested by the prosecution.