DP chief Lee says he will comply with summons

Democratic Party chairman Lee Jae-myung answers questions by reporters at his office at the National Assembly on Monday. [YONHAP]

Democratic Party chairperson Lee Jae-myung said he will comply with another summons from prosecutors, even though he believes the order to be insulting and unjust.

“Even though it isn't right, I will go since they have asked me to come, as this is the price you pay for losing the presidential election,” Lee told reporters on Monday.

“You can't compare my suffering from being kicked and stepped on by the victor [Yoon Suk Yeol] to the suffering our people are experiencing, and the massive damage caused by our society regressing to the past,” Lee said.

“I will go as they desperately want to summon me again.”

Lee was at Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office for more than 12 hours Saturday while being questioned about two development projects in Seongnam, Gyeonggi — Wirye and Daejang-dong — from which he allegedly profiteered while serving as mayor of the city.

This was his second summoning this year alone.

Earlier this month, prosecutors called Lee in for questioning regarding an alleged quid pro quo involving corporate sponsorship of Seongnam’s football club.

In both cases, investigators suspect the involvement of political slush funds.

Lee's party, the DP, holds a majority of seats in the National Assembly, Korea's parliament.

Lee called the prosecutors' allegations "truly farfetched," accusing investigators of fabricating the accusations.

Kicking off a meeting of the DP’s leadership earlier in the day, Lee called on President Yoon Suk Yeol to summon him to the president’s office in Yongsan rather than the prosecutors’ office.

“If he summons me to Yongsan instead of the prosecutors’ offices, wouldn’t it help in solving the people’s livelihoods and economic problems?” he said.

“The DP and the People Power Party have to put our heads together to come up with decisive measures for the people’s livelihoods instead of forcing the people to come up with survival plans for their own.”

However, Lee hinted he would not give into the prosecutors’ attempt to arrest him.

“There is no clear evidence proving the allegations, and it’s not like I would run, have no fixed address or destroy evidence,” he said.

“There is no reason to arrest me other than I'm head of the Democratic Party.”

Local media reported that prosecutors are likely to execute an arrest warrant against Lee as early as this week.

However, under the current law, the investigating authority must get the National Assembly's approval before filing an arrest warrant against a sitting lawmaker while the legislature is in session.

As the DP holds 169 of the National Assembly's 299 seats, prosecutors are unlikely to receive such approval.

In December, the National Assembly rejected an arrest warrant for another DP lawmaker, Noh Woong-rae, by a vote of 161 against and 101 for.

Critics suspect Lee's decision to run for a National Assembly seat in Incheon in last June's by-election, just months after losing his presidential race against Yoon, was motivated by a desire to wrap himself in legislative immunity.

The DP head has been accused of using his status as a lawmaker to avoid arrest, despite his alleged involvement in several scandals since 2021.

Lee said the country is turning into a dictatorship run by prosecutors.

“From a country for the people, we’re becoming a country of the prosecutors, by the prosecutors and for the prosecutors,” he said.

“We were once a country that was under the dictatorship of the military that oppressed people and violated human rights. Today, it seems we are seeing the birth of a prosecutorial dictatorship.”

Lee also asked his fellow lawmakers and supporters not to show up when he is summoned by the prosecutors for the third time.

“It could be used as a tool of conflict and division,” he said, explaining that prosecutors "expect" such a gathering.

"And as much as it could hurt, I beg you not to come.”

In his first appearance before prosecutors, the DP chairperson was surrounded by about 40 DP lawmakers who were called out to support him.

About 10 lawmakers showed up on Saturday, despite Lee saying earlier that he would attend alone with his lawyer.

BY LEE HO-JEONG [lee.hojeong@joongang.co.kr]