Lee Nak-yon, senior advisor of the New Future Democratic Party, said on the 29th, "Regardless of whether someone is right or wrong, the independence of the judiciary is the last bastion of democracy, and we cannot shake that," and urged, "Our citizens must stop that."
The senior advisor revealed this after completing early voting at an early voting site established at a community center in Sajik-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul.
He recently expressed strong concern about the inclusion of judicial-related bills, such as the proposal to increase the number of Supreme Court justices, in the election pledge of Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea.
The senior advisor noted, "I have also been in politics and have run in several elections, but politicians become good people only during the election period," adding, "However, it is astonishing that those people continue to do such things without hesitation even during the election period. I worry about what will happen if they gain power."
He continued, "Today's so-called new type of dictatorship begins with the control of the judiciary," citing examples of Venezuela, Hungary, Poland, and Peru. "In particular, the proposed increase in Supreme Court justices is a tactic once used by Chavez, and if this method comes to Korea, it would be terrifying. It is regrettable that we want to learn the methods of dictators in developing countries."
The senior advisor emphasized, "It is extremely dangerous to shake the judiciary to protect the criminal allegations of one person," and added, "I believe that the citizens will maintain their vigilance."
Regarding the reason for participating in early voting, he stated, "There are concerns about the safety of early voting, but I wanted to show the citizens that early voting is safe by trusting our election system and management techniques," and added, "We have struggled to achieve democracy to this point, and we must prevent it from collapsing."
The senior advisor expressed surprise at the much larger turnout than expected for early voting, saying, "Especially, it seems that many young people have come out. Public sentiment is often compared to water; only the droplets bouncing on the surface can be seen, but underneath, it is surging with tremendous force. I feel that there is some power moving that politicians have not seen."
Meanwhile, regarding Lee Jun-seok's overt remarks about the female anatomy aimed at Lee Jae-myung's son, he remarked, "I don't think I need to comment specifically on that."
The senior advisor also did not make any significant comments regarding the controversy over the unification of the People Power Party, stating that, "It was not an easy task from the beginning, and it is up to each individual to make a judgment."