PPP’s Jang says probe backfired on Lee, exposing North Korea cash claims and Daejang-dong case

Jang Dong-hyeok, leader of the People Power Party, said April 23 that hearings by a National Assembly special committee investigating alleged “fabricated prosecutions” had backfired on President Lee Jae-myung. 

Speaking at a party leadership meeting at the Assembly, Jang said the hearings had brought to light what he called the substance of allegations involving Lee, including claims tied to sending money to North Korea and the Daejang-dong case. 

Jang accused Democratic Party lawmakers of trying to force testimony, saying they labeled statements as perjury when they did not get the answers they wanted, shouted over witnesses and cut them off. He added that, in their view, a hearing was “successful” when Democrats shouted and interrupted. 

He also criticized calls for a special counsel, saying it would mean turning a defendant’s case over to a special prosecutor appointed by the defendant, Lee. Jang called it a “self-appointed special counsel” aimed at canceling the prosecution. 

Jang said Kim Yong, described as a close aide to the president, had been sentenced to five years in prison through the second trial on bribery charges and was pressuring the Democratic Party over nominations. He also criticized Jeon Jae-su, the Democratic Party’s candidate for mayor of Busan, alleging he took bribes tied to the Unification Church, and said it reflected arrogance that winning office would allow him to hold out like Lee. 

Jang further said the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development had issued what he called a warning to the Lee administration over “destruction of the judiciary.” He said the government was courting international embarrassment to keep Lee out of prison, and asked whether the Democratic Party would now claim the OECD was siding with prosecutors. 

He said the public was tired of trying to stop the Democratic Party and told it to do as it pleased, warning that “the people’s judgment” would lead to Lee’s trial resuming and Democratic Party lawmakers holding caucus meetings in a detention center. 

Jang earlier shared a Facebook post April 22 linking to a report saying an OECD-affiliated anti-corruption body had been confirmed to have sent South Korea a letter requesting that it share a draft bill aimed at abolishing the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office and creating a Major Crimes Investigation Agency.