Lee Jun-seok, the presidential candidate of the Reform Party, criticized the prosecution reform pledge of Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea. Lee also reiterated his stance that he would not cooperate with Kim Moon-soo, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, who is pursuing a 'big tent' against Lee Jae-myung.
On the afternoon of the 12th, the candidate met with reporters at Yonsei University in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, and said of Lee Jae-myung, "I heard thieves hate police. I don't understand why he keeps talking about the prosecution and the courts," adding, "It is basically an announcement driven by a sense of victimhood regarding his past. Actions that appear to be revenge should be restrained."
He continued, "We need to prioritize resolving issues with institutions like the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, which has underperformed despite spending a significant budget," and stated, "Didn’t we also release people like former President Yoon Suk-yeol who committed serious crimes?" On this day, he promised to abolish the CIO as a major pledge.
The candidate also commented on the delay of the trial regarding the perjury solicitation charges against Lee Jae-myung, stating, "Delays in judicial appointments due to political scheduling are something that even former President Roh Moo-hyun opposed," and urged, "The Democratic Party should at least inherit Roh Moo-hyun's attitude toward life."
The candidate stated, "In the future, the People Power Party should discuss the issue of the big tent with the Liberty Unification Party, not the Reform Party," adding, "The Reform Party is a party that does not align ideologically with Kim Moon-soo's principles."
He also remarked, "Although Kim Yong-tae, the emergency committee chair of Kim Moon-soo's camp, expressed the position that he should apologize for the martial law, the timing has already been lost," and added, "Whatever desperate moves are made, it is highly likely they are for the sake of avoiding a crisis."