News summary on the way home from work, Subsletter Evening.
The JoongAng Ilbo interviewed Yoon Seok-yeol, the presidential candidate for the People's Strength, and published an article about it, and the Blue House and the Democratic Party are in an uproar.
Candidate Seok-Yeol Yoon said, "If I come to power, I will investigate the corruption of the Moon Jae-in government," and "The Democratic Party used the prosecution to commit many crimes." "It's very unpleasant," and the Democratic Party also attacked it, saying it was "a declaration of political retaliation."
Yoon Seok-yeol: "Investigation of corruption? Should I do it?"
Let's look at the interview article reported by the JoongAng Ilbo.
When a reporter asked, 'Are you going to investigate the corruption of the previous regime like in the early days of the Moon Jae-in administration?', Candidate Yoon responded, "I have to. Those who commit crimes and corruption should also be punished according to the law and according to the system,” he said.
Regarding concerns about whether the investigation into the previous government would lead to political retaliation, he said, "Everything is done according to the system. What I did in the early days of the Moon Jae-in administration was to retaliate at the orders of the president? Who will retaliate against whom? Then their government What they did in the early days of the government was in accordance with the constitutional principles, and what the next government did for their corruption and illegality was retaliation?"
"Prosecution investigations are conducted in accordance with legal procedures while being checked and controlled by the judiciary," he added.
When some of the Democratic Party insisted that he would appoint the prosecutor's closest associate to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office when he came to power and create a prosecutor's republic, Yoon said, "That's the frame of the passport. We have to take responsibility for that.”
Here, the closest person seems to be Prosecutor Han Dong-hoon, and the JoongAng Ilbo wrote an article anonymously as Prosecutor A.
Candidate Seok-Yeol Yoon said, "Why are you afraid of Prosecutor A? Look at what this administration has done to Prosecutor A. Why shouldn't he be the head of the Central Prosecutor's Office because he has suffered so much damage from this government? Prosecutor A has been doing almost like an independence movement. It's the same logic as saying that if a person who fought for independence goes to a major government post, it shouldn't be because Japan doesn't like it." He said a lot about Prosecutor A.
However, Candidate Yoon said, "I'm not saying that I'm going to be a middle-aged prosecutor, etc. Since he's a very competent prosecutor, I think that if the prosecution's personnel are normalized, everyone will take on important positions. He is a very competitive person even if he doesn't take special care of him."
Below is a part of the Q&A published by the JoongAng Ilbo related to corruption investigations and Prosecutor A.
► Reporter: There is a concern that the prosecutors aide will be heavily involved in retaliatory investigations when he comes to power.
► Seok-Yeol Yoon: Why are you afraid of Prosecutor A?
He shouldn't be the head of the Seoul Central Prosecutors' Office because the prosecutor suffered a lot of damage from this regime.
That doesn't make sense.
He is a man who has been almost like an independence movement.
What is the difference from the logic that a person who has fought for independence during the Japanese colonial period should not later go to an important position in the government of that country because Japan does not like it?
► Reporter: Are you going to investigate the corruption of the previous administration like in the early days of the Moon Jae-in administration?
► Yoon Seok-yeol: I will.
But the president is not involved.
In the early days of the current government, the investigation was done according to the constitutional principle, and if the next government investigates their corruption and illegality, is that retaliation?
It all depends on the system.
► Reporter: Do you think the Daejang-dong case should be re-investigated?
► Yoon Seok-yeol: Wouldn't it be a re-investigation?
If the prosecutors with the right mind are investigating, will you think that Yoo Dong-gyu has done everything?
The person who has authority and can make decisions is the mayor (Lee Jae-myung then Seongnam).
Blue House "It's very unpleasant... no matter how much the election"
A high-ranking official at the Blue House saw the interview with Yoon Seok-yeol and said, "It's very unpleasant."
The Blue House did not respond to the words and actions of the candidates while emphasizing election neutrality.
Let me introduce some more words from a high-ranking official at the Blue House.
"If you look at the media reports, you'll see what Yoon Seok-Yeol said. They say that this part is very inappropriate and very unpleasant. No matter how much the election is, there are lines that must be
respected." How many crimes did the Democratic Party government commit using the prosecution? They should be held accountable for that.”
He saw that it was difficult to bear with the remarks that seemed to be belittling the Moon Jae-in administration as a criminal group, even at the time of the election.
"Declaration of political retaliation"... Democratic uproar
The Democratic Party also fired a crossfire over the interview with Candidate Yoon Seok-yeol, but focused on the remarks of 'Investigation to liquidate corruption when in power'.
He held an emergency meeting and issued an emergency statement presided over by Woo Sang-ho, head of the election campaign head of the Election Committee, and harshly criticized it for saying, "I strongly condemn the declaration of political retaliation by Candidate Seok-yeol Yoon. It was a reckless remark that revealed the arrogance of a person in power in the prosecution who had enjoyed only privileges throughout his life."
He also set the day, saying, "Candidate Yoon urges him to cancel his political retaliatory speech and apologize.
Spokesperson Cho Seung-rae, in a commentary, criticized, "Even before Yoon took office, he publicly declared political retaliation. The Moon Jae-in government has decided in advance that it is a corruption and will rob it until it comes out. The spokesperson also criticized, "(Regarding Prosecutor Han Dong-hoon's remarks), there is no comparison, so you compare him to an independence activist. I hope that the insults against all those who sweat and sweat for the independence movement will be removed immediately. Are you already taking care of your aide?"
Rep. Hwang Woon-ha added on SNS, "This is an open statement of political retaliation. If he becomes president, he will place his closest aides to the highest positions in the prosecution service and then privatize the prosecution power to properly care for the people of the previous administration," he added.
Former Democratic Party leader Lee Hae-chan, chair of the pro-no and pro-moon group, poured out anger-filled accusations, saying, "How dare you say that the Moon Jae-in government is corrupt."
He also said, "The person who gave the most important role to the Moon Jae-in administration in clearing the government's corruption and judging state-run non-government, and who gave him a high-speed promotion to the Prosecutor General's office is candidate Yoon. The part will belong to candidate Yoon Seok-yeol.”
Yoon Seok-yeol, "If there is no problem, there is nothing to be offended"
Candidate Seok-Yeol Yoon again mentioned the Blue House reaction, saying, "If there is no problem in my opinion, there is nothing to be offended about. It's a common-sense story."
I also explained the corruption investigation further to reporters, so I'll introduce some of the remarks.
“I always said the same thing in my recent interviews, in principle, that when the new government enters the new government, the work of the previous government will naturally pass with a time lag, and that when a problem is discovered and problematic over a period of one year, two years, and three years, it will be done according to the normal judicial system. If you do it with the retaliation frame, what I did is a legitimate corruption treatment, what someone else did is retaliation, and that frame doesn't fit
. I'm back.
In the JoongAng Ilbo interview, there were no remarks such as 'the Democratic government used the prosecution to commit crimes' or remarks that regarded the current government as a target for corruption investigations.
It seems they are trying to avoid escalation by lowering the tone.
After the public remarks on 'corruption investigation'
Although Candidate Seok-Yeol Yoon avoided an escalation, it can be interpreted that the public remarks that 'we will investigate corruption when he comes to power' revealed his true intentions.
Candidate Seok-Yeol Yoon was the person who led the investigation of state affairs before the inauguration of the current government and the investigation of corruption such as the investigation of former President Lee Myung-bak after the inauguration of the current government. that was exposed.
As a Democrat, the expression itself is outrageous.
Also, there will be no choice but to protest as 'political retaliation' or 'ingratitude', as Woo Sang-ho, head of the election committee, said in an emergency statement.
If Candidate Seok-Yeol Yoon is elected, today (the 9th) the workshop could be reenacted in a more intense form.
a piece of the day
Kim Hye-kyung, wife of Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung, held a press conference to apologize.
Regarding the recent controversy over 'excessive protocol', he said, "I sincerely apologize to the public, especially to the informant." "I will do my best to reveal the truth through the investigation and audit." I will explain and take responsibility until the end.”