Democratic Party in 'Dilemma' Over Lee Jae-myung's Legal Risks

Former President Park Geun-hye urged unity around the party leadership at a workshop. She emphasized the importance of trust and integrity, citing 'Mushinbulrip' (無信不立 – a country cannot stand without trust), and stressed the significance of politics in restoring public trust. This message is interpreted as an effort to prevent internal party divisions and ensure stable party operations.

The appointment of Kang Shin-sung, former Vice President of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, to Representative Kim Min-seok's special advisory team has brought past controversies back into the spotlight. Kang Shin-sung is known as Representative Kim Min-seok's long-time 'sponsor' and was implicated in suspicions of financial transactions during Representative Kim's 2008 political funds law violation case. At the time, Representative Kim Min-seok was sentenced to two years in prison and a fine of 200 million won for bribery under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes, and Kang Shin-sung was convicted of providing illegal political funds to Representative Kim. It is known that Representative Kim Min-seok received approximately 300 million won from Kang Shin-sung during this process. Furthermore, Kang Shin-sung has a history of being convicted for violating the Political Funds Act. For these reasons, his appointment as a special advisor is being criticized as inappropriate.

Various scenarios are being discussed to help Chairman Lee Jae-myung avoid trial. Options such as withdrawing the prosecution to nullify the trial and abolishing the embezzlement law itself are reportedly being considered. However, withdrawing prosecution could lead to significant political backlash, making the complete repeal of the law a more realistic option. There are differing views on this within the Democratic Party, which appears to be seeking ways to resolve Chairman Lee's legal risks while minimizing political burden.

According to a JoongAng Ilbo report, Democratic Party lawmakers on the Legislation and Judiciary Committee expressed differing opinions on whether to include the power to withdraw prosecution in a special prosecutor investigation. Only Representative Park Kyun-taek stated that the power to withdraw prosecution was necessary, while the other five lawmakers argued against including it. Two lawmakers took a reserved stance, stating that the decision should consider public opinion. This internal party sentiment reveals a discrepancy between Chairman Lee Jae-myung's intentions and the Democratic Party's practical response. The inclusion of the power to withdraw prosecution is a sensitive issue directly linked to resolving Chairman Lee Jae-myung's legal risks.

A conflict over party lines erupted between Representative Kim Min-seok and Representative Chung Cheong-rae at the Democratic Party workshop. During his lecture, Representative Kim Min-seok criticized the hardline supporter-centric approach, emphasizing a strategy to secure middle-ground voters. He advocated for a 'New Lee Jae-myung' strategy to expand the middle class and swing voters, criticizing Representative Chung Cheong-rae's stance. Representative Chung Cheong-rae strongly retaliated, calling it 'violent humiliation' and 'microphone dictatorship.' Their conflict highlights intensifying competition for party leadership.

Representative Kim Min-seok reacted sensitively to author Yoo Si-min's criticism of Chairman Lee Jae-myung as an 'arrogant power holder' and 'monarchy,' stating that the Democratic Party had 'gone bad.' Yoo pointed out that Chairman Lee was exercising 독점적 (exclusive) power within the party and strongly criticized the current state of the Democratic Party. Representative Kim Min-seok, conscious of these remarks, expressed discomfort, mentioning feelings of humiliation after the party convention. This suggests that critical views on Chairman Lee Jae-myung's leadership exist even within the Democratic Party.

Former Standing Advisor Chung Dong-young's remark that North Korea's nuclear capability has 'increased 100,000 times in 32 years' compared to 1992 has caused controversy. This statement drew criticism for being an exaggeration of North Korea's nuclear capabilities by a former Unification Minister. Kim Ki-heung, Media Spokesperson, pointed out that this statement was an unscientific exaggeration and suggested an underlying intention to recognize North Korea's status as a nuclear-weapon state. Furthermore, it was criticized as being no different from advocating for North Korea's claims of abandoning denuclearization and pursuing arms control negotiations.

It was suggested that former Standing Advisor Chung Dong-young's extreme remarks on North Korea are part of a strategic division of roles with Chairman Lee Jae-myung. Spokesperson Kim Ki-heung claimed that Chairman Lee Jae-myung uses Chung Dong-young to first utter what he wants to say, thereby testing public sentiment and adjusting the pace. The idea is that if Chung attempts to use phrases like 'Democratic People's Republic of Korea,' Chairman Lee would then restrain him, observing the public's reaction.

It has been argued that Chairman Lee Jae-myung's subservient stance toward North Korea is due to suspicions of 'remittances to North Korea' and his legal risks. Spokesperson Kim Ki-heung pointed out that the issue of receipts for remittances to North Korea, linked to former Deputy Governor Lee Hwa-young's trial, is Chairman Lee's weakness. Kim analyzed that if Chairman Kim Jong-un were to say, 'Lee Jae-myung gave us money,' it would be a fatal blow to Chairman Lee, which is why Chairman Lee has no choice but to act subserviently towards North Korea.

Chairman Lee Jae-myung's successive meetings with corporate heads have sparked controversy over 'government-led investment.' Chairman Lee met with Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong 13 times, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won 8 times, and various other business leaders. His mention of 'historical compensation' concerning semiconductor investment in the Honam region, in particular, became a target of criticism. These remarks are criticized for inducing government-led investment through political pressure rather than market-driven investment.

Despite the announcement of semiconductor investment in the Gwangju region, doubts about its feasibility have been raised due to insufficient essential water and electricity infrastructure. Spokesperson Kim Ki-heung pointed out that unlike TSMC's Kumamoto factory, where the Japanese government thoroughly prepared infrastructure even before construction, Korea lacks sufficient foundational facilities. The criticism is that promising operation within the term without resolving infrastructure issues is unrealistic.

A critical view was raised regarding the application of the 52-hour workweek to semiconductor R&D. Spokesperson Kim Ki-heung argued that given the nature of the semiconductor industry, it is necessary to work intensely and concentratedly during the research and development process, and applying the 52-hour workweek could hinder efficiency. He pointed out that unlike China and Japan, which maintain industrial competitiveness through flexible working hour systems, Korea's rigid regulations impede industrial development.

Concerns have been raised about the impact of the 'Yellow Envelope Law' on corporate management rights and investment. Controversy erupted when the Samsung Electronics labor union began demanding the construction of the Gwangju semiconductor factory as a subject for negotiation. This leads to criticism that the 'business management decision' clause in the Yellow Envelope Law expands the conditions for strikes, allowing labor union intervention even in the company's inherent management areas. Spokesperson Kim Ki-heung pointed out that this law could shrink companies' free investment and business activities, ultimately negatively impacting the economy as a whole. Companies are feeling considerable pressure due to increased investment uncertainty from the Yellow Envelope Law, and the possibility that union demands could dictate management decisions.

The government's high interest rate, high inflation, and high exchange rate measures have been criticized as being based on contradictory populism. Spokesperson Kim Ki-heung pointed out that policies that simultaneously inject money and raise interest rates to absorb money are inconsistent. He argued that Chairman Lee Jae-myung's mind is only focused on the political intention of maintaining approval ratings by injecting money through expansionary fiscal policies, which will ultimately harm the livelihoods of ordinary people.

Criticism of Chairman Lee Jae-myung's expansionary fiscal policy continued. Spokesperson Kim Ki-heung expressed concern that Chairman Lee Jae-myung is issuing 110 trillion won in national bonds annually, which could cause next year's national budget to exceed 800 trillion won. He also criticized the method of budget operation through future funds as highly politically biased, arguing that such policies could threaten national financial soundness.

Critical evaluations of the Ministry of Economy and Finance's organizational restructuring were made. Spokesperson Kim Ki-heung claimed that the separation of fiscal and budget functions within the Ministry of Economy and Finance to create a separate budget agency was a political move by Chairman Lee Jae-myung, intended to place people who share his views in order to spend money as he pleases. This is criticized as an attempt to strengthen fiscal control and use it to promote specific policies.