People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyuk urged voters to head to the polls on Wednesday, the day of the 9th nationwide local elections, declaring that "abandoning the vote means giving the arrogant Lee Jae-myung a chance to erase his trial."
Speaking at the final central election campaign committee meeting held at the National Assembly that day, Jang said, "Giving up your vote is the same as giving up your home, your property, your paycheck, and your freedom. Please go to the polling station right now."
He noted, "Yesterday, President Lee summoned the acting prosecutor general to a Cabinet meeting and demanded that he 'apologize for the wrongdoing and retract it.'" Jang added, "This is blatant intimidation telling him to make his own trial disappear. He has now ordered the prosecution to cancel the trial on its own, since even complicated procedures like a special prosecutor are too much trouble. This is the worst kind of arrogance, signaling that he will no longer care what the public thinks."
Jang also accused President Lee of violating his duty of election neutrality. "He toured markets across the country campaigning, and at the polling station, he brought out his marked ballot and waved it in front of the cameras," Jang said. "Every night, under the pretext of encouraging voting on social media, he incited people to vote for the Democratic Party." He stated, "All of these are serious illegal acts that constitute grounds for impeachment," calling it "extreme arrogance, as if to say the government, the National Assembly, and the judiciary are all in his hands, and no one can touch him."
He continued, "Has there ever been a more arrogant president in the constitutional history of the Republic of Korea? Lee Jae-myung's arrogance and lawless rampage must be stopped. The people must keep him in check and hold him back."
"Local election voting is underway. Today, your precious vote will determine your life and the future of the Republic of Korea," he added. "As Lee Jae-myung himself said, if you give up your vote, you will be ruled by the worst of the worst."
