"Return 39.7 Billion Won Immediately" vs. "43.4 Billion Won Is No Exception"

[Anchor]

The Democratic Party has gone on the offensive, demanding that the People Power Party immediately return the presidential election campaign expenses it was reimbursed. In response, the People Power Party countered that if the suspended trial of President Lee Jae-myung eventually results in a finalized ruling invalidating his election, the Democratic Party will also have to pay back over 40 billion won.

Reporter Kim Bo-mi has the details.

[Reporter]

The Democratic Party commented in a statement that the first-instance ruling of "invalidation of election" for former President Yoon Suk Yeol was a "thoroughly natural judgment."

Targeting the People Power Party, it demanded that they waste no time and immediately return the 2022 presidential election expenses they were reimbursed.

[Kang Jun-hyun / Senior Spokesperson, Democratic Party: They must immediately apologize to the public and step forward to return the 39.7 billion won in election expenses reimbursed with taxpayers' money.]

The People Power Party maintained its stance, stating, "We will solemnly watch the Supreme Court's final decision."

At the same time, it fired back by asserting that subsequent trials regarding President Lee Jae-myung's Public Official Election Act case must be swiftly resumed, and that if a ruling invalidating his election is finalized, the Democratic Party must return its election reimbursement funds.

[Park Sung-hoon / Senior Spokesperson, People Power Party: (The Democratic Party) must undoubtedly return the 43.4 billion won in presidential election reimbursement funds covered by the public's tax money.]

Under the Public Official Election Act, if a presidential candidate wins 15 percent or more of the votes, the state reimburses the candidate's camp for the full amount of election expenses and deposits.

However, if a ruling invalidating the election is finalized, the reimbursed funds must be returned in full.

As of last February, the People Power Party's assets were valued in the 100 billion won range, with real estate assets reportedly making up the majority.

Due to the illegal presidential campaign funds scandal dubbed the "cart transport case," the People Power Party's predecessor, the former Grand National Party, had to sell its central party headquarters in 2004 to return the funds, starting with a "tent headquarters" and operating out of rented offices for 16 years until 2020.

In the case of the Democratic Party, President Lee Jae-myung was indicted for making false statements during the 2022 presidential election and was acquitted in the second instance. After the Supreme Court remanded the case in May of last year with a partial guilty intent, the trial has remained suspended to date.

If a fine of 1 million won or more is finalized in the future, the Democratic Party will have to return 43.4 billion won.

(Photoed by Lee Seung-hwan and Shin Dong-hwan | Video edited by Lee Seung-jin | Designed by Kim Ye-ji)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.