SEOUL– The ruling People Power Party (PPP) upped its offensive against the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) leader Lee Jae-myung on Monday on the eve of his appearance for prosecution questioning in connection with a corruption investigation surrounding a football club.
Prosecutors suspect Lee, who served as the mayor of Seongnam, just south of Seoul, is linked to allegations that the city government attracted some 16 billion won (US$12.8 million) in corporate donations to its municipal football club in return for administrative favors between 2016 and 2018.
Lee plans to appear at a prosecutors office in Seongnam on Tuesday morning for questioning.
“I call on Lee to properly vindicate himself from a series of criminal allegations,” PPP chief Chung Jin-suk said in a party meeting, noting the DP should not bet the party’s fate on Lee, who is a “criminal suspect.”
Chung criticized the DP leadership for planning to accompany Lee when he appears at the prosecutors office and for convening an extraordinary session of the National Assembly in a bid to shield Lee from arrest.
Lawmakers are immune from arrest while the parliament is in session. They can still be arrested if the National Assembly gives consent to the arrest, but the DP has enough power to refuse to give such consent with more than a majority of parliamentary seats.
“Lee may evade arrest with a shield called the January extraordinary session but will not be able to evade investigation or indictment,” PPP spokesperson Jang Dong-hyeok said. “The moment the Democratic Party chooses to go with a crime, it is giving up going with the people.”
Lee, meanwhile, did not comment on the prosecution questioning and focused on criticizing the government.
“The ruling party is absorbed in a power struggle and trying to hide its incompetence in protecting the national security,” Lee said in a party meeting, noting the economy and the national security — the two pillars of the country — are being shaken to the core.
“Deceiving people with a lie and oppressing the opposition party with power will not cover up the incapacity and the irresponsibility of the government.”
Source: Yonhap News Agency