No more public opinion wars with the bulletproof National Assembly.
We must focus on legislating for a better life for our people.
Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, was found not guilty in the first trial of a case in which he was indicted on charges of instigation of perjury. The 33rd Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court (Chief Judge Kim Dong-hyeon) declared Representative Lee not guilty, who was sentenced to three years in prison, at the sentencing hearing yesterday. Kim Jin-seong, former secretary to the late Kim Byeong-ryang, former mayor of Seongnam, who confessed to perjury, was sentenced to a fine of 5 million won. Representative Lee, who was sentenced to one year in prison and two years of probation 10 days ago for violating election laws, has avoided the worst situation. However, it should be kept in mind that the judicial risk has not been completely resolved as he is undergoing five trials for 12 charges in 8 cases.
The reason the court found him not guilty was because it judged that Representative Lee did not constitute perjury for his actions of talking to Mr. Kim twice in December 2018 and sending him a summary of his defense. It was based on the fact that at the time of the phone call, it had not been decided whether Mr. Kim would testify and what specific details he would say if he testified. It is judged that he only requested ordinary testimony in order to exercise his right to defense in his own trial. This is quite different from last September, when Judge Yoo Chang-hoon of the Seoul Central District Court dismissed the arrest warrant for Representative Lee, whose arrest motion had been passed in the National Assembly, but said, “It appears that he has been justified.”
Regardless of whether one supports Representative Lee or one’s ideological inclination, everyone must respect and humbly accept the judgment of the judiciary. As Representative Lee left the courtroom after the trial, he said, “I am grateful to the court for restoring truth and justice.” This is a different reaction from when he said immediately after being found guilty in an election law violation case on the 15th, “It is a conclusion that is difficult to accept, even from the basic admission of facts,” and “There are still two more courtrooms left, and the courtroom of public sentiment and history is eternal.” We hope that Representative Lee will show his acceptance not only in this acquittal but also in other rulings in the future. In addition, there should no longer be attempts to resolve judicial risks through bulletproof National Assembly or public opinion campaigns. The judiciary should also proceed with trials as quickly as possible to avoid prolonging public confusion.
Representative Lee, who succeeded in being reappointed at the August 18 National Convention, celebrated his 100th day in office yesterday. It is true that he emphasized ‘muksanism’ after taking office, but it faded away due to the bulletproof National Assembly aimed at overcoming judicial risks. Now we must break the link between judicial response and politics and focus our efforts on legislation for the people’s livelihood. Due to judicial risk, they could not even properly hold a press conference on the 100th day of their inauguration. I hope that Representative Lee’s words yesterday, “We will do our best for a better life for our people,” will not be empty words.
(ⓒ Segye Ilbo & Segye.com, unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited)
Source: www.segye.com
