DP lambasts prosecution for investigating Jeong Jin-sang

The Democratic Party of Korea criticized the prosecution for summoning Jeong Jin-sang, chief of the party’s political coordination office, calling it “human hunting.” At the same time, the ruling People Power Party denounced the DP that it described has lost reason for being too obsessed with defending party leader Lee Jae-myung.

At the press conference held in the National Assembly, the committee for responding against prosecution-led political oppression under the Democratic Party called specific criminal charges on the search and seizure warrant issued against Mr. Jeong as “nonsense.”

The prosecutors’ office argued that when Yoo Dong-gyu, former acting head of the Seongnam Development Corporation, gave money to Mr. Jeong back in 2019, Mr. Yoo used stairs to avoid the CCTV in the elevator of the apartment where Mr. Jeong lived. However, the Democratic Party dismissed the prosecution’s argument by pointing out that there is no blind spot in the CCTV, doubting the statement's credibility. The committee further criticized the prosecutors’ office is relying on groundless and biased arguments.

However, there was a difference in opinions over whether the party leadership should launch a full-scale response against the prosecution’s investigation. DP lawmaker Noh Woong-rae said that the DP should support the party official who is unfairly investigated. In contrast, another DP lawmaker, Cho Eung-cheon, said, “Responding to the prosecution’s investigation of Mr. Jeong is irrelevant to the party affairs.”

The People Power Party targeted DP leader Lee outright. PPP spokesperson Kim Mi-ae condemned that the DP’s political efforts to support Lee benefit only Mr. Lee and the rest of the people fall victim to such a political campaign. PPP Emergency Committee Chairman Jeong Jin-seok also wrote on his Facebook account that the DP seems to have completely lost its reason and that the party is drifting like a ship run aground.


Seong-Ho Hwang hsh0330@donga.com · Kyung-Suk Kang coolup@donga.com