"Do Not Fight Like Enemies"... "Supplementary Investigation Rights Being Used as Political Slogan"

[Anchor]

President Lee Jae-myung has directly addressed the recent conflicts within the ruling party, stating that they "should not fight like enemies." He also remarked that the issue of the prosecution's supplementary investigation rights, which Democratic Party leader Jung Chung-rae has vowed to abolish entirely, is being used as a political slogan—a comment interpreted by many as a veiled criticism of leader Jung.

Reporter Kang Min-u has the story.

[Reporter]

President Lee Jae-myung stated, "State affairs have not changed, yet approval ratings have plummeted since the election," adding, "I will take the public's assessment seriously."

He identified the following as the primary cause for the decline in approval ratings:

[President Lee Jae-myung: That is likely the biggest reason. People are saying, 'We are struggling to make a living, so what are you fighting about?']

Regarding the rumors of conflict between the party and the presidential office—which spread following the absence of Democratic Party leader Jung Chung-rae at the send-off for the President's European tour on the 9th—President Lee emphasized the principle that the party and the government can offer "bitter advice" to one another.

[President Lee Jae-myung: While it may look like there is a massive conflict from your perspective, I believe it is a process to achieve better results.]

He then added the following:

[President Lee Jae-myung: Do not fight like enemies. Should we be waging war instead of competing (within the same camp)?]

On the issue of the prosecution's "supplementary investigation rights," he noted that while it is a matter for the National Assembly to decide, he warned that "methods of suppression are not the answer," suggesting that blocking even the most exceptional cases could lead to problems later.

[President Lee Jae-myung: You shouldn't avoid making soybean paste just because you are afraid of maggots; if there is a possibility of maggots appearing, you can just find and block them. If it is absolutely impossible to block them, then it wouldn't be too late to give up on making the paste.]

He also mentioned that there is an aspect of this issue being used as a political slogan, leading to interpretations that he was indirectly criticizing Democratic Party leader Jung Chung-rae, who has publicly declared his intent for a "total abolition" of these rights.

(Reported by Jung Sang-bo and Yoon Hyung | Video by Lee Seung-hee | Graphics by Choi Ha-neul)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.