Wrangling continues over raid on Democratic Party headquarters

The ruling and opposition parties continued to wrangle over the prosecutors’ raid on the Democratic Party headquarters. The main opposition party was up in arms against the raid, accusing it of “killing the opposition party.” The ruling People Power Party retorted back, warning the opposition against abandoning their responsibilities as a political party to defend their party leader Lee Jae-myung.

During a plenary session at the National Assembly on Tuesday, Lee labeled the raid as a declaration to reject normal politics and reign over the people and the constitutional rule. “We have no choice but to fight if the ruling party reveals their will to annihilate the opposition and exert violent rule,” Lee said. Senior advisors, including Lee Hae-chan and Chung Dong-young, shot covering fire for Lee by holding a meeting with him and sternly urging the party to rally and respond in unison. “Concerns were raised that they might have intentions to reshuffle the political landscape by erasing the Democratic Party through prosecutorial dictatorship and rule of policing,” said Ahn Ho-young, the senior spokesperson of the opposition party, after the meeting was closed.

The People Power Party stressed that the raid was not oppression but a process of investigating Lee and his confidants. “Lee’s matters should be left to be tackled by the judicial system, and the Democratic Party should focus on how to deliver for the welfare of the people,” said Floor Leader Joo Ho-young at the party’s countermeasure meeting.

Others voiced their urge that Lee should step down. “It is an attempt to destroy democracy to use their boycotting President Yoon Suk-yeol’s policy speech as an excuse to neuter the prosecution’s probe, and it is a blind pursuit to defend Lee,” said Seong Il-jong, the chief policymaker of the ruling party. “Lee might be better off as an actor with his weeping skills unless he is ready to own it up and make a public apology.”

“Time for Lee has run out. His resignation is the only way to prevent the traditional Democratic party from getting mired in the swamp of death,” Rep. Kim Ki-hyeon said in his Facebook posting.


Hoon-Sang Park tigermask@donga.com · Kyung-Suk Kang coolup@donga.com