Song Young-gil, leader of the Pine Tree Party, declared that he would rejoin the Democratic Party of Korea.
On the 13th, after the Seoul High Court Criminal Division 1 (Presiding Judges Yoon Sung-sik, Min Sung-cheol, and Kwon Hyuk-jun) delivered a full acquittal on charges including bribery under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes, Song said in a statement, "I will dissolve the Pine Tree Party and rejoin the Democratic Party."
Song said, "From the beginning, the so-called money envelope case and the separate case were a politically motivated investigation designed to eliminate political opponents by the Yoon Suk-yeol–Han Dong-hoon prosecution regime, and this has been made clear legally," adding, "By gathering the opinions of party members, I declare the dissolution of the Pine Tree Party and my return to the Democratic Party of Korea."
Song said, "The Pine Tree Party has fought most fiercely against the Yoon Suk-yeol prosecutorial dictatorship and stood at the forefront of the struggle to dismantle the political prosecution," adding, "At last, Yoon Suk-yeol stands before the judgment of the law, and the political prosecution is proceeding toward dismantlement. The Pine Tree Party has fulfilled its role."
Song said, "There are no conditions, premises, or demands for my return to the Democratic Party. Only the single-minded intent to responsibly support President Lee Jae-myung's governance as a party member of the Democratic Party," adding, "As a member of the Democratic Party, together with party members and supporters, I will do everything I can to ensure the success of the Lee Jae-myung administration."
The Democratic Party welcomed Song's acquittal and his return to the party. Chief spokesperson Park Soo-hyun said, "We welcome former leader Song, who has overcome the razor-sharp blade of the political prosecution and returned," adding, "We will continue solidarity and unity toward the success of the Lee Jae-myung administration."
Leader Jung Chung-rae also wrote on Facebook, "I welcome and congratulate Song on his acquittal. You have endured a lot," adding, "We will redouble our efforts for prosecutorial reform to correct the prosecution's abuses of power."