Former Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo. [Yonhap]
Former Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo. [Yonhap]

Former Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo blamed those who brought political prosecutors into the party for the first-instance ruling against former President Yoon Suk Yeol on charges of violating the Public Official Election Act.

Hong wrote on his Facebook page Monday that "at this point, those who brought Yoon Suk Yeol and Han Dong-hoon in and ruined South Korea's conservative party should now be held politically accountable."

He then criticized "family-owned media outlets that propped up those two and misled public opinion," as well as YouTubers who followed their lead, saying, "You are responsible for the state this country is in — please, let's finally come to our senses."

Earlier that day, the 21st Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court, presided over by Chief Judge Jo Sun-pyo, sentenced former President Yoon to one year and six months in prison, suspended for three years, on charges of violating the Public Official Election Act.

The court found that Yoon had made false public statements on two matters during his presidential campaign — allegations that he had introduced a lawyer to Yoon Woo-jin, the former head of the Yongsan Tax Office, and remarks related to a person named Jeon Seong-bae.

If the ruling is upheld through appeals and confirmed by the Supreme Court, Yoon would lose his eligibility to run for public office.

The People Power Party would also be required to return approximately 39.7 billion won ($27.1 million) in campaign expenses reimbursed by the state during the 20th presidential election in 2022.

Hong had also directed criticism at lawmaker Han over the controversy surrounding the abolition of prosecutors' supplementary investigative powers.

He claimed that "because of you, the Lee Jae Myung administration is trying to dismantle the prosecution and strip it of even its supplementary investigative powers as an act of retaliation."

He added, "What could someone who destroyed 80 years of prosecutorial history possibly have to say? This is exactly what the word 'shameless' was made for."


min3654@heraldcorp.com