The People Power Party (PPP) on Saturday accused President Lee Jae-myung of "blatant state-led election interference" as he continued a string of visits to traditional markets, including Nammokmaseong Market in Ulsan and Moran Market in Seongnam.
Song Eon-seok, the PPP's floor leader, wrote on Facebook on the 15th that "President Lee is engaging in a blatant nationwide market-tour campaign every single day." He denounced the visits as "blatant state-led election interference," adding, "The president has gone beyond merely interfering in the election and is now directly campaigning himself."
Song was particularly critical of Lee's visit to Moran Market in Seongnam. "Given that it is President Lee's political hometown and that the Seongnam mayoral candidate Kim Byung-wook is a former Cheong Wa Dae political affairs secretary, the planning intent behind the choice of location is highly improper from the outset," he said.
"Successive presidents have faced election interference controversies, but no president has ever campaigned every day by personally touring traditional markets across the country with just over 20 days left until the election," Song said. "If the president's campaigning takes place even one more time, the People Power Party will immediately pursue legal action against the president's blatant campaigning."
When President Lee visited Daegu on the afternoon of the 15th, the candidate registration deadline, the PPP's Daegu City Chapter election committee convened an "Emergency Response Meeting on President Lee's State-Led Election Interference." Song said, "Campaigning by [President Lee] took place again today in Gunwi and Daegu. Accordingly, we will begin reviewing legal measures."
He continued, "The president's duty of election neutrality was treated as grounds for impeachment during the impeachment of former President Roh Moo-hyun, and the Constitutional Court recognized President Roh's illegal conduct — this is a serious matter." He stressed, "Even if the president himself cannot be indicted under the Constitution, Cheong Wa Dae officials who planned the election interference activities could become subjects of prosecution."
Song added, "I will listen to opinions and suggestions and bring them to the central election committee to prepare necessary countermeasures."
