People Power Party Floor Leader Chung Jeom-sik assessed today (Sept. 2) that the remarks by Cho Kuk, head of the Rebuilding Korea Party's Innovation Policy Research Institute—who stated that pushing for the dismissal of the indictment against President Lee Jae-myung without confirmed fabricated prosecution would lead to a setback—signal "the full-scale onset of President Lee's lame-duck period."

In a post on Facebook, Floor Leader Chung mentioned the appointment of former Rebuilding Korea Party lawmaker Lee Hae-min as the Senior Presidential Secretary for AI Future Planning, and stated, "Giving a single senior secretary position at the presidential office to a Rebuilding Korea Party lawmaker cannot block this massive tsunami of a lame duck."

He added, "It is a bit baffling since this is the same person who stated exactly four months ago that 'dismissing the indictment against President Lee is only natural,' but given how accustomed we are to him flipping and changing his words depending on the circumstances, I suppose we just let it go. The only change in circumstances that led to this flip-flop is none other than a 'lame duck.'"

Regarding Cho's remarks that "we must accurately distinguish and take action on cases where indictments should be dismissed in the first trial versus cases that should be tried after the president's term ends," Chung emphasized, "The statement that the second trial will resume 'after the term' is wrong. Under the Constitution, President Lee's trial must be resumed right now, 'during his term.'"

Addressing the judiciary, Floor Leader Chung urged, "The target of their attacks right now is Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae, but after the Chief Justice, it will be all judges in the Republic of Korea, and after that, all citizens of the Republic of Korea. The judiciary must gather courage with a sense of resolution."

(Photo: Yonhap News)