Photo by NJT. Lee Jae-myung, the representative of the Democratic Party, is leaving the South building of the Seoul Central District Court after the substantive warrant review.

Silent Amidst Storm: Representative Lee Jae-myung's Tense Warrant Review and the Public's Divide

By Byung Kee Park 

Seoul, South Korea - Using a cane for support, Lee Jae-myung, the representative of the Democratic Part, was silent on his way in for his warrant hearing and just as silent on his way out.
 

On the 26th, at 10:03 am, Lee arrived at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, for a substantive warrant review. Despite being approached with questions by journalists, he gave no response and entered the court. Though the warrant review was expected to conclude between 3 and 4 pm, it actually ended around 7:25 pm, having lasted a lengthy 9 hours and 17 minutes.

Lee, who had given no statements while entering the court building, similarly remained unresponsive to reporters as he exited the premises. As he left the court, about ten of his supporters chanted his name, "Lee Jae-myung", and a female participant even shed tears. This woman expressed, "It's heartbreaking. How can they torment such a distinguished individual who did so much for the province?" A man voiced his discontent, asking, "If the public could imprison Jeon Doo-hwan, Park Geun-hye, and Lee Myung-bak, why can't they do the same to President Yoon Seok-youl?" Numerous Democratic Party supporters suspect that President Yoon is responsible for causing difficulties for Representative Lee.

Hundreds of police officers were stationed around the court, preparing for any potential incidents. Amidst the heavy and charged atmosphere, some minor confrontations arose between the police and Lee's supporters as they waited for him.

The results of Lee's warrant review are expected to be announced later tonight or tomorrow morning. The judge in charge of the substantive warrant review at Seoul Central District Court, Yoo Chang-hoon, will be basing the decision on the gravity of the allegations, potential evidence tampering, and risk of flight. Until the review concludes, Lee will await the decision at the Seoul Detention Center.

Following the warrant review, as Lee boarded a black van heading for the detention center, his attorney, Park Kye-taek, gave an interview around 7:50 pm. He relayed that, after Lee became the mayor of Seongnam and advanced public development processes like the Daejangdong development, "it seems like he became a target of public scrutiny. Ever since he became the provincial governor, there hasn't been a day without an investigation, and he has expressed deep regret and a sense of injustice."

On the prosecution's claim that Lee might tamper with evidence and therefore should be detained, Park countered, "Two prosecutor's offices have conducted extensive investigations over a year and a half. There's no evidence left to tamper with." He added that "from a legal standpoint, many parts of the allegations do not stand, so there's no need to even consider evidence tampering."