Parties show mixed reactions on questioning of Lee
A citizen watches a TV report about the questioning of ex-President Lee Myung-bak, Wednesday, at Yongsan Electronics Market in Seoul. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
By Choi Ha-young
Political parties showed mixed reactions to former President Lee Myung-bak, who appeared Wednesday for the prosecution’s questioning.
Ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) Chairwoman Choo Mi-ae criticized Lee. “Lee is facing 20 charges, which would be enough to be listed in the Guinness Book of World Records,” Choo said during a party meeting Wednesday.
She lashed out at a remark made by Lee’s aide, that the ex-president may not be able to hire lawyers since he donated all of his belongings to society. “It’s deja vu, reminding me of military dictator Chun Doo-hwan who claimed he had only 290,000 won ($272).”
The largest conservative Liberty Korea Party (LKP), where many of Lee’s associates are involved, defended Lee. “The liberals will face revenge in return for an investigation into Lee,” LKP Chairman Hong Joon-pyo said.
“Lee’s allegations are all about his personal corruption, unlike ex-President Park Geun-hye’s influence-peddling. Obviously, this is a bid for a vendetta to dig into the ex-president’s personal affairs.”
The center-right Bareun Mirae Party (BMP), created through the merger of the liberal People’s Party and the conservative Bareun Party, showed its complicated stance about Lee. Party floor leader Kim Dong-chul originally from the People’s Party said, “The court should give Lee the maximum sentence allowed by law.”
In contrast to Kim’s harsh criticism, BMP co-leader Yoo Seong-min, former chief of the Bareun Party, blamed the Constitution rather than criticizing Lee. “That’s why the nation should revise the imperial presidency, which is based on the Constitution, to prevent such tragedies from repeating,” Yoo said.
The minor liberal Party for Democracy and Peace (PDP) urged the investigation into Lee to proceed. “He pursued his own interest by abusing power. Korea became MB Corporation due to his greed,” party spokesman Rep. Choi Gyung-hwan said.
The progressive Justice Party, which is moving toward having a negotiation body with the PDP, further called for a custody investigation of Lee. “He attempted to confuse citizens rather than admitting his crimes, as seen by his remark before entering the prosecution,” party spokeswoman Chu Hye-seon said.