Tag: Lee Jae-myung

If you are wondering why police are not disclosing more information about the political ideology of the suspect who stabbed Lee Jae-myung, it is because of a law that prevents them from doing so:

The decision by the police not to disclose the political affiliations of the man who attacked Rep. Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), with a knife, has sparked controversy. The DPK has criticized law enforcement authorities for sharing investigative information selectively.

The Busan Metropolitan Police Agency announced, Monday, that its identity disclosure committee would convene a meeting on Tuesday to determine whether to release the personal information of the 67-year-old male suspect, identified so far only by the surname Kim.

If the committee decides in favor of further disclosure, Kim’s full name, age and photo will be released.

However, the police stressed that the history of his political affiliations would remain undisclosed, irrespective of the committee’s decision.

“Technically, it cannot be disclosed as per relevant laws. We are currently discussing with the prosecution about the matter. But if we disclose (his political affiliations), there could be penalties,” an official at the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency said during a press briefing.

The official was referring to the Political Parties Act, which bans investigative bodies from publicly sharing information about a suspect’s political affiliations that could be ascertained during investigations. Violation of this law may lead to imprisonment of up to three years.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link, but police could face up to 3-years in jail if they released the information.

Here is the latest on the Lee Jae-myung stabbing, the criminal who committed the crime may have had an accomplice:

The suspect behind the stabbing attack against opposition leader Lee Jae-myung is seen being escorted to a court on Jan. 4, 2024, for a hearing. (Yonhap)

 Police have detained a man in his 70s for investigation on suspicions of aiding and abetting the suspect in the stabbing attack against opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, officials said Monday.

The Busan Metropolitan Police Agency said the man was put under emergency detention the previous day on suspicions of helping the 67-year-old assailant, identified by his surname Kim, commit the crime, even though he was aware of the attack plan.

Kim stabbed Lee, chairman of the Democratic Party (DP), in the neck with a camping knife in the southeastern city of Busan on Jan. 2. Lee underwent surgery to repair a major vein in his neck and has since been recovering at a hospital in Seoul.

Ahead of the crime, Kim had written an “excuse letter” to explain the motive of his crime and his political beliefs, and the 70-something man agreed to send the letter on Kim’s behalf by mail to an unspecified location, according to police.

Police plan to question him over whether he colluded with Kim in connection with the stabbing attack.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

This is horrible and hopefully Lee Jae-myung is able to fully recover from this attack:

 Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung was attacked during a visit to the southeastern port city of Busan on Tuesday and taken to a hospital while conscious.

Lee, chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party, was attacked on the left side of his neck by an unidentified man at 10:27 a.m. during a question and answer session with reporters after touring the construction site of a new airport on Busan’s Gadeok Island.

Lee was transferred to Pusan National University Hospital approximately 20 minutes after the attack.

At the time of the transfer, Lee remained conscious, but the bleeding continued.

The male suspect, pretending to be one of Lee’s supporters, approached the politician asking for an autograph and then carried out the attack with an unidentified weapon approximately 20-30 centimeters in length, according to eyewitnesses. 

He was arrested at the scene.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link, but this is not the first time political violence like this has happened in South Korea. Park Geun-hye was slashed in the face in 2006 and U.S. Ambassador Mark Lippert’s face and neck back in 2015. Hopefully the man that committed this latest political violence spends a long time in jail.

Here is the DP once again demagoging a tragic accident to score political points. There was clearly poor planning at the local level that contributed to this tragedy, however the opposition makes it seem like President Yoon should of been out there leading crowd control that tragic night:

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party, delivers a speech at Seoul Plaza in the capital city during a memorial event to mark the first anniversary of the deadly Itaewon crowd crush that killed 159 people during Halloween celebrations last year, in this photo taken on Sunday. (Yonhap)

The main opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung vowed Sunday to get to the truth about the deadly Itaewon crowd crush and work to hold those accountable to prevent such a tragedy from happening again.

Lee made the pledge during a memorial event held to mark the first anniversary of the deadly crowd crush that took the lives of 159 people during Halloween celebrations in the popular hangout district of Itaewon.

“It has been one year since 159 universes, and 159 worlds collapsed, but nothing has changed. The desperate appeals by the bereaved families are again ignored today, and those in power are only bent on covering up the truth,” Lee said in a speech at Seoul Plaza.

“We will reveal the truth by quickly passing special legislation on the Itaewon tragedy, hold those responsible accountable and make sure something like this won’t happen again,” Lee said.

Korea Herald

You can read more at the link.

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.