[Edaily Byung-ho Jang Reporter] On the 18th, independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon criticized President Lee Jae-myung’s press conference, stating, “Ultimately, President Lee chose the path of Chun Doo-hwan’s April 13 Constitutional Declaration rather than the June 29 Declaration.” He argued that the president showed no willingness to shift the direction of state affairs, citing in turn the issue surrounding the nomination of Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won, the controversy over the dismissal of charges in cases involving President Lee, and messages directed at his support base.

In a post on Facebook that day, Rep. Han first addressed the issue of nominee Kim. He argued, “They’re saying the public is right, yet they intend to appoint Kim Seung-won—the man behind the ‘Oppa Poison Lobby’ scandal—whom the public absolutely opposes,” adding, “This is an attempt to mock the public with wordplay that runs completely counter to their actions and to declare war on the people.” He went on to say that no clear answer had been given at the press conference regarding whether Nominee Kim would be appointed, adding, “Even when reporters ask so persistently like that, he dodges the question and refuses to say ‘no’ at all costs—which, under the current circumstances, is tantamount to saying ‘yes.’”

He also took a hard line on the issue of dropping the charges related to President Lee. One lawmaker stated, “Since he feels wronged, he says he will have the charges against himself dropped by any means necessary,” and raised the possibility of an investigation by a special prosecutor to uncover the truth. He argued, “He’s asking the special prosecutor to forcibly conduct an investigation favorable to dropping the charges against him under the Special Prosecutor Act, while simultaneously trying to remove the provision that allows the special prosecutor to directly dismiss the charges,” adding, “He intends to ensure the charges are dropped but is looking for a way to avoid public backlash—but there is no such way.”

They also took issue with remarks made during the press conference regarding his support base. One lawmaker assessed that President Lee “called on his supporters to ‘don’t abandon me,’ clinging to their pant legs while urging his camp to unite.” The lawmaker went on to criticize President Lee, stating, “He showed no fear toward the public but was intimidated only by figures like Choo Mi-ae and Kim Eo-jun,” implying that his message prioritized his support base over the entire nation.

One lawmaker argued, “He is forgetting that he is the president of all the people—bound by a duty to serve the entire nation, transcending the scope of his supporters,” and reiterated, “Ultimately, President Lee has chosen the path of the April 13 Constitutional Preservation Declaration rather than the June 29 Declaration.”