DPK should honor public's will in handling Lee's fate
Prosecutors sought an arrest warrant for Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) Chairman Rep. Lee Jae-myung on charges of corruption and bribery Thursday. Lee has been accused of breaching his duties, infringing upon laws pertinent to conflicts of interest, taking bribes and hiding profits generated from crimes. This is the first time that the prosecutors filed a warrant against the leader of the main opposition party.
Well aware of the significance, Prosecutor General Lee Won-seok took to the podium in person to defend the prosecution's decision referring to the "illegal collusion between real estate developers and local power brokers" and the "sharing of astronomical profits." The investigation team also stressed that the probes are addressing issues from when Lee was the mayor of Seongnam and not the opposition party leader.
On Saturday, the ruling People Power Party (PPP) and the DPK agreed to convene a National Assembly plenary session on Feb. 27 to deal with the motion for the possible arrest of Lee. Yet the bipartisan bickering is expected to intensify further ahead of the crucial vote. Lee was the presidential candidate of the DPK against then PPP rival President Yoon Suk Yeol.
Prosecutors accused Lee of inflicting a 489.5 billion won ($376 million) loss on Seongnam Development Corp. by issuing an order to change rules on extra profits when he served as Seongnam mayor. They also claim Lee received 13.35 billion won in bribes from Naver and Doosan when he headed the Seongnam FC football team, in return for offering favors to them.
Lee retorted, "It is a day when the Yoon Suk Yeol dictatorship has privatized the prosecution's authority for its benefit." Lee billed the prosecution move as a suppression of political opponents by the incumbent government, reminiscent of the autocracy seen under former President Chun Doo-hwan's regime. But Lee says he never received even a penny.
Given Lee's status as a lawmaker with the right to avoid arrest, the ball is now in the National Assembly's court. Should the motion for Lee's arrest get the green light, Lee will be put behind bars, as the prosecution requested. But the possibility of such a scenario is slight at present, because of opposition from most of the DPK's 169 members.
Yet it remains to be seen as the splinter Justice Party has turned to back the motion. Lee has been taking flak since he had vowed to abolish the lawmakers' "non-arrest privileges" during his presidential campaigning. Also, the DPK cannot avoid criticism for attempting to exploit the device as a "bullet-proof vest" to protect Lee despite the need to establish new practices to meet the people's standards.
The case of Lee should be handled in accordance with due processes at courts based on evidence and legal standards. Judges need to strictly discern whether the case is simply an attempt at political oppression as alleged by Lee and the DPK or crimes committed by a local mayor. Given this, it is better for Lee to humbly accept the court's deliberation of the arrest warrant. It would be the more responsible response for Lee, one fit for the head of the main opposition party.
The DPK lawmakers, for their part, should cast ballots with respect to the wishes of the party members and the people, should the voting take place as planned. The party has failed to muster public support over the past months due to the "legal risks" surrounding its leader, notwithstanding the dire need to provide proper policy agendas.
The DPK has been engulfed in a sense of crisis resulting from the risk issue ahead of the general election in April next year. It should bear in mind that many people are closely watching what they will do with their leader. They hope the opposition party will remain healthy and sound so that it can properly keep the current government in check.
Prosecutors sought an arrest warrant for Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) Chairman Rep. Lee Jae-myung on charges of corruption and bribery Thursday. Lee has been accused of breaching his duties, infringing upon laws pertinent to conflicts of interest, taking bribes and hiding profits generated from crimes. This is the first time that the prosecutors filed a warrant against the leader of the main opposition party.
Well aware of the significance, Prosecutor General Lee Won-seok took to the podium in person to defend the prosecution's decision referring to the "illegal collusion between real estate developers and local power brokers" and the "sharing of astronomical profits." The investigation team also stressed that the probes are addressing issues from when Lee was the mayor of Seongnam and not the opposition party leader.
On Saturday, the ruling People Power Party (PPP) and the DPK agreed to convene a National Assembly plenary session on Feb. 27 to deal with the motion for the possible arrest of Lee. Yet the bipartisan bickering is expected to intensify further ahead of the crucial vote. Lee was the presidential candidate of the DPK against then PPP rival President Yoon Suk Yeol.
Prosecutors accused Lee of inflicting a 489.5 billion won ($376 million) loss on Seongnam Development Corp. by issuing an order to change rules on extra profits when he served as Seongnam mayor. They also claim Lee received 13.35 billion won in bribes from Naver and Doosan when he headed the Seongnam FC football team, in return for offering favors to them.
Lee retorted, "It is a day when the Yoon Suk Yeol dictatorship has privatized the prosecution's authority for its benefit." Lee billed the prosecution move as a suppression of political opponents by the incumbent government, reminiscent of the autocracy seen under former President Chun Doo-hwan's regime. But Lee says he never received even a penny.
Given Lee's status as a lawmaker with the right to avoid arrest, the ball is now in the National Assembly's court. Should the motion for Lee's arrest get the green light, Lee will be put behind bars, as the prosecution requested. But the possibility of such a scenario is slight at present, because of opposition from most of the DPK's 169 members.
Yet it remains to be seen as the splinter Justice Party has turned to back the motion. Lee has been taking flak since he had vowed to abolish the lawmakers' "non-arrest privileges" during his presidential campaigning. Also, the DPK cannot avoid criticism for attempting to exploit the device as a "bullet-proof vest" to protect Lee despite the need to establish new practices to meet the people's standards.
The case of Lee should be handled in accordance with due processes at courts based on evidence and legal standards. Judges need to strictly discern whether the case is simply an attempt at political oppression as alleged by Lee and the DPK or crimes committed by a local mayor. Given this, it is better for Lee to humbly accept the court's deliberation of the arrest warrant. It would be the more responsible response for Lee, one fit for the head of the main opposition party.
The DPK lawmakers, for their part, should cast ballots with respect to the wishes of the party members and the people, should the voting take place as planned. The party has failed to muster public support over the past months due to the "legal risks" surrounding its leader, notwithstanding the dire need to provide proper policy agendas.
The DPK has been engulfed in a sense of crisis resulting from the risk issue ahead of the general election in April next year. It should bear in mind that many people are closely watching what they will do with their leader. They hope the opposition party will remain healthy and sound so that it can properly keep the current government in check.
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