Candidates for metropolitan mayors and governors from the People Power Party criticized the "fabricated indictment special counsel (independent counsel)" pushed by the Democratic Party of Korea as an anti-constitutional act for President Lee Jae-myung's "self-exoneration." With local elections ahead, they are seeking to rally conservatives by using the ruling party's special counsel push as a springboard.
On the 5th, People Power Party candidates for metropolitan mayors and governors held an emergency news conference at Bosingak in Jongno District and called the "fabricated indictment special counsel bill" a "grave act of destroying the rule of law that directly undermines the constitutional order." Attending the briefing were candidates Oh Se-hoon (Seoul), Yoo Jeong-bok (Incheon), Yang Hyang-ja (Gyeonggi), Kim Jin-tae (Gangwon), Kim Young-hwan (North Chungcheong), Yang Jeong-mu (North Jeolla), and Choi Min-ho (Sejong), among others.
They said, "The moment the law degenerates into a shield that erases the crimes of those in power, that country is no longer a nation governed by the rule of law. That is dictatorship," adding, "As a clear attempt at a judicial coup that shakes the national judicial system for President Lee alone, the Democratic Party will not be able to avoid a harsh judgment from the people going forward, and we issue a stern warning."
They continued, "The Democratic Party must immediately halt the introduction of a special counsel bill for 'Lee Jae-myung's self-exoneration through dismissal of indictment' and immediately withdraw the bills that have already been introduced," adding, "The president must make it clear before the people that 'there will never be a dismissal of indictments regarding my charges during my term, and I will stand trial according to law and principle.'"
Oh Se-hoon, the People Power Party's Seoul mayoral candidate, said, "Here in front of Bosingak, we want to show our determination to fight to the end and recall the historical meaning by uniting the will of the entire nation," adding, "We reached an agreement with the Reform Party on an online petition and are making the (alliance) concrete."
Yang Hyang-ja, the party's Gyeonggi governor candidate, said, "The Democratic Party has torn down the constitutional principle of popular sovereignty and toppled the foundation of the rule of law and the framework of democracy in one sweep," adding, "If they had feared the People Power Party, the largest opposition party, they would not have committed such lawless acts ahead of the local elections."