Lee Kang-deok, a preliminary candidate for North Gyeongsang Province governor from the People Power Party, appealed to voters to "protect the Republic of Korea together with the People Power Party" in response to the ruling party's push for three judicial reform bills.
"The three judicial reform bills that the Democratic Party rammed through in just four days like a military operation are laws to remove the ticking time bomb that President Lee Jae-myung carries," Lee wrote on Facebook on Saturday.
"The 'three judicial reform bills,' which the legal community and opposition have defined as 'unconstitutional bad laws,' are packaged with the word 'reform' but are actually 'laws to save Lee Jae-myung,' who became president while standing as a criminal defendant," the candidate said. "President Lee Jae-myung, who must face trial after leaving office, can now sleep soundly."
Lee appealed for support in the June 3 local elections. "I will accept criticism willingly," he said. "But even if you resent us, please protect the existence of our People Power Party once more. Only then can we put the brakes on the Democratic Party and President Lee Jae-myung, who are pushing unjust laws based on 'guilty if powerless, innocent if powerful.'"