The Democratic Party's 'tent party' has reappeared in Gwanghwamun, Seoul. It has been 12 years since the former Democratic Party, the New Politics Alliance for Democracy, set up a tent in front of Seoul City Hall demanding reform of the National Intelligence Service. This comes as the sentencing for Lee Jae-myung's Public Office Election Act violation appellate trial is just two days away, and there is speculation that the Constitutional Court's ruling on President Yoon Suk-yeol's impeachment may be postponed until April. There are also analyses suggesting growing unease within the party regarding Lee's trial.
On the 24th, the Democratic Party installed a tent party in Gwanghwamun and held a Supreme Council meeting. After the tent's signboard ceremony, Representative Lee mentioned President Yoon's declaration of a state of emergency on Dec. 3, saying, 'Plans have been made to kill at least 5,000 to 10,000 people, and various methods such as bombing, poisoning, or execution have been considered.'
Supreme Council member Jeon Hyun-hee said, 'The essence of the case against Representative Lee, who is undergoing trial regarding the Public Office Election Act, is the prosecution's manipulation and unjust indictment,' adding, 'Representative Lee is clearly innocent.' There were also calls in public settings for an 'early general election.' Supreme Council member Lee Eon-joo stated, 'If the country is unable to suppress even acts of insurrection, dragging it out and giving a free pass in an unconstitutional situation, what is the meaning of wearing a (National Assembly member) badge?' He urged that both ruling and opposition party members resign and hold a new general election.
On the 25th, a party-level press conference regarding Representative Lee's second trial sentencing is also scheduled. Organized by the party's 'Committee for Realizing Judicial Justice and Overcoming Prosecutorial Dictatorship', it will condemn the prosecution's indictment related to Representative Lee's case. The focus will be on pressuring the prosecution and highlighting the unfairness of the indictment.
The Democratic Party has stepped out because of public opinion battles. Concerns are growing that the appellate trial of Representative Lee will become a negative factor ahead of the ruling on President Yoon's impeachment. Representative Lee received a sentence of one year in prison with a two-year suspended sentence in the first trial for violating the election law. If the disqualification from running for office is upheld in the second trial, pressure from the conservative camp calling for a swift final trial is expected to intensify. Within the non-mainstream faction, there are talks of preparing a 'Plan B' considering the possibility of a sentence confirmation.
The People Power Party is also focusing its efforts on the prosecution against Representative Lee. Kweon Seong-dong, the floor leader of the People Power Party, stated during an emergency measures meeting on this day, 'Election offense trials are supposed to be prioritized over other trials,' and he urged the judiciary to restore its damaged authority through a fair judgment, as it has not adhered to the 6-3-3 principle (six months for the first trial, three months for the second and third trials).
The banner campaign is also noteworthy. Jeong Yeon-wook, a member of the same party, posted banners throughout his constituency (Busan Suyeong-gu) stating, 'March 26 is the day of judgment for Lee Jae-myung, so Lee Jae-myung cannot continue!' This message indicates the date of Representative Lee's second trial sentencing, with the D-day written on the banner decreasing by one day. Earlier, Representative Jeong stood at the center of controversy regarding the Central Election Commission's bias with his banner reading, 'Still, Lee Jae-myung cannot continue,' and eventually, the commission reversed its decision of 'prohibition of posting' and allowed the display of the banner.