Category: Politics-Korea

Here is what prosecutors have to say about a Korean court dropping the arrest warrant against Lee Jae-myung this week:

In the left photo, ruling People Power Party Chairman Kim Gi-hyeon, left, and other party lawmakers hold banners condemning a court’s decision to reject a warrant for the arrest of main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) Chairman Lee Jae-myung, during a lawmakers’ meeting at the National Assembly, Wednesday. In the right photo, DPK floor leader Hong Ihk-pyo, front, applauds with other party members during a lawmakers’ meeting at the Assembly, Wednesday. Yonhap

Following the dismissal of the warrant, prosecutors said that the decision could have been affected by Lee’s political status.

“There seems to be a stark difference between the prosecution and the court regarding the decision and its grounds,” Prosecutor-General Lee One-seok told reporters Wednesday.

“Although the court recognized the prosecution’s claims of illegalities, it apparently focused on providing defense rights to Lee based on his status as the chairman of a political party.” He added that judicial matters should not be influenced by political factors.

“An arrest warrant is nothing more than part of the process of investigating crimes, and the dismissal does not mean innocence,” Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon said.

“Even if a politician commits a crime, the judiciary does not and should not become political,” Han added. “I believe the prosecution will continue its investigation without being swayed.”

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

It looks like Lee Jae-myung will avoid being arrested and detained as the investigation into the corruption charges around him continues:

 A Seoul court on Wednesday rejected an arrest warrant sought for opposition leader Lee Jae-myung over corruption charges, a decision that averted the biggest crisis yet for the former presidential candidate. 

The Seoul Central District Court made the decision following a hearing attended by Lee, chair of the Democratic Party (DP). It marked the first time the leader of South Korea’s main opposition party has attended an arrest warrant hearing.

“In comprehensive consideration of the degree to which the defendant’s right to defense is needed and the extent of concerns about the possible destruction of evidence, it is difficult to see the rationale and need for his arrest to the extent that the principle of investigation without detention should be ruled out,” a court judge said.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

Lee Jae-myung is in the hospital now and thus able to achieve sympathey from the Korean left in an attempt to hopefully avoid arrest. I guess we will see if this tactic works:

Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, who has been on a hunger strike in protest against what he called a slew of the Yoon government’s policy failures, ended his fasting after more than three weeks, a party official said Saturday.

“Chairman Lee will end the hunger strike on its 24th day and begin treatment for recovery,” Kang Sun-woo, a spokesperson for the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), said in a briefing.

“The medical team treating Lee strongly called for Lee to immediately call off the hunger strike as continuing it would have severely hurt his health,” Kang said, adding that Lee is willing to carry out his work schedule in consultation with the medical staff.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

This further explains why Lee Jae-myung went on his so called hunger strike so he could be hospitalized because he likely knew many members of his own DPK political party, who are in the majority in the National Assembly, would defect to vote in favor of the motion to allow a vote on his arrest:

Parliamentary speaker Kim Jin-pyo (2nd from L) and the floor leaders of the two major rival parties are seen checking a ballot cast on a motion to waive opposition leader Lee Jae-myung’s immunity from arrest, at the National Assembly in Seoul, on Sept. 21, 2023. (Yonhap)

The National Assembly on Thursday passed a motion seeking parliamentary consent to the potential arrest of opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, a surprise result that shows a number of dissenting votes from Lee’s own Democratic Party (DP).

With the motion’s passage in a 149-136 vote, a court hearing will be held to determine whether to grant the prosecution’s request for an arrest warrant for Lee on corruption charges in connection with a land development project and a company’s illegal cash remittance to North Korea.

But it is unclear whether Lee will show up for the hearing, considering he has been on a hunger strike since Aug. 31 to protest President Yoon Suk Yeol’s handling of state affairs and was hospitalized earlier this week due to deteriorating health. 

The motion needed at least 148 votes in favor to pass. Given that Lee’s DP has 168 lawmakers in the 298-member National Assembly, the result suggests that dozens of DP lawmakers voted in favor of the potential arrest of their party leader.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link, but his hospitalization is last move to seek sympathy from members of the DPK to not vote for his potential arrest.

Here is typical Korean political theater from Lee Jae-myung to try and gain public sympathy as he fights corruption allegations. The fact that he is going to these lengths of politcal theater shows that he is very concerned he is going to get the Lee Myung-bak treatment:

Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung expressed his desire Monday to continue his hunger strike even after he was taken to a hospital due to deteriorating health on the 19th day of his fast earlier in the day, officials said.

Spokesperson Han Min-soo of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) delivered the information to reporters after Lee was transferred to a nearby hospital earlier, suffering dizziness and a sharp drop in blood sugar levels.

“Lee will only receive a minimal amount of IV treatment and will not consume any food. The move is interpreted as his will to put a stop to the reckless administration,” Han said.

Regarding Lee’s condition, Han said Lee is out of immediate danger but is far from regaining vitality.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

These protesters have no creditability considering they are not protesting similar waste water dumping South Korea and far worse in China. This is strictly just another anti-Japanese protest for political reasons:

Activists stage a protest in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, Tuesday, urging the Japanese government to revoke its decision to start releasing treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean, Thursday. Yonhap

Korea’s main opposition party and civic groups have pledged to hold an all-out protest against Japan’s announcement, Tuesday, to release treated wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the Pacific Ocean starting Thursday.

The Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) denounced Japan’s decision by staging rallies at the National Assembly and in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul to condemn the decision.

“Japan made the vicious decision to discharge contaminated water into the ocean, which belongs to all humans, without scientific proof, understanding from neighboring countries or agreement by the Japanese people,” DPK Chairman Rep. Lee Jae-myung said.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

This is all blowback from the Sewol ferry disaster where former President Park Guen-hye was criticized for not immediately taking action when there was nothing she could have done to save the kids that died. Now every time there is a disaster the politicians don’t want to create any appearance of indifference which critics were able to successfully do with President Park:

The ruling People Power Party (PPP) is looking into criticism that Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo played golf over the weekend when the country was grappling with damage from heavy downpours, a spokesperson said Tuesday.

The investigation was ordered by party leader Kim Gi-hyeon and depending on the outcome, Hong could be referred to the party’s ethics committee for disciplinary measures if he is found to have violated the party regulations.

“The party is taking this issue very seriously,” Rep. Kang Min-kuk said after the party’s leadership meeting. “We should first determine what happened through the investigation, and then there are going to be discussions about follow-up measures.”

Later in the afternoon, the party’s ethics committee said it will convene Thursday to decide ex officio whether to initiate disciplinary proceedings against Hong. 

Hong played golf for one hour Saturday before play was suspended due to rain. Critics say it was inappropriate for a public servant to play golf at a time when the country was struggling with massive damage caused by the heavy rains.

The mayor claimed he did nothing wrong, saying there was no report of damage in Daegu at the time and he has the right to do whatever he wants during personal hours. 

“At a time like this, we need to be careful about what we say and do,” PPP leader Kim said during a party meeting. “Not only lawmakers of our party but also regional party officials, municipality heads and government officials should try to make sure not to cause trouble with inappropriate words and deeds.”

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

President Yoon should just call these subsidies what they are, political payoffs. What Yoon can’t do though is just end the subsidies to left wing groups and then give them to right wing groups. This just continues the same problem. None of these political groups should be receiving taxpayer money:

President Yoon Suk Yeol called Wednesday for abolishing “nonsense political subsidies” in an apparent reference to subsidies given to civil organizations under the previous administration.

Yoon made the remark while presiding over a national financial strategy meeting with government and ruling party officials ahead of full-fledged planning for next year’s government budget, according to presidential spokesperson Lee Do-woon.

“We must get rid of nonsense political subsidies, while keeping economic subsidies alive and making social subsidies more efficient and rational,” Yoon was quoted as saying during the meeting held at the former presidential compound of Cheong Wa Dae.

The instruction came after a recent audit of government subsidies given to about 12,000 civil organizations over the past three years found a total of 1,865 cases of irregularities involving about 31.4 billion won (US$24 million).

Earlier, Yoon ordered the implementation of a strict oversight system under which project leaders and the public servants responsible will be held to account in the event of irregularities in subsidized projects.

Yoon took direct aim at the previous Moon Jae-in administration, saying the national debt, which had been kept at 600 trillion won for 70 years, rose by 400 trillion won during its term, increasing the total to over 1,000 trillion won.

Yonhap

Here is the most important statement from President Yoon and I guess we will see in the coming years if he actually means it:

“If we are thinking truly of the nation and the people, and not of political ambition, then fiscal austerity and soundness is inevitable at the moment,” he said. “Our government, unlike the previous government, will maintain a principle of responsible and sustainable fiscal management.”

You can read more at the link.

Kim Gi-hyeon does make a good point and this proposal would encompass more than just Chinese nationals:

The leader of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) on Tuesday suggested scrapping the voting rights of Chinese nationals living in South Korea, saying that vice-versa is not the case.

Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon made the remark in an address at the National Assembly as leader of a parliamentary negotiating bloc, saying relations between South Korea and China should be based on the principle of reciprocity.

“At the time of the local elections in June last year, about 100,000 Chinese nationals residing here had the right to vote. However, no suffrage is guaranteed at all for our people in China,” Kim said during the address.

“Why should we be the only one opening the latch? What is fair would be not to give voting rights to foreigners from countries that do not give our people voting rights,” he said.

Since 2005, South Korea has given foreigners the right to vote in local elections if three years have passed since they gained permanent residency. Some critics have said the law gives Chinese too much say in local politics.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link, but it will be interesting to hear what the Chinese response to this will be.

I wonder if Lee even realizes his hypocrisy considering he is leading the party that led prosecutions against various conservative Korean politicians when the left held power:

Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung said Monday he will give up his immunity from arrest as a lawmaker, accusing the government of President Yoon Suk Yeol of unfair investigations of him and other political opponents.

Lee, chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), made the pledge during an address at the National Assembly, claiming that the Yoon administration is bent on “raids, arrests and political strife” without taking care of the economy and diplomacy.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.