'The president's words are still being misread — stop misleading the public and cooperate on livelihood measures'

President Lee Jae Myung answers reporters' questions at a press conference held at Cheong Wa Dae's Yeongbingwan on Friday. [Yonhap]
President Lee Jae Myung answers reporters' questions at a press conference held at Cheong Wa Dae's Yeongbingwan on Friday. [Yonhap]

The Democratic Party of Korea called on the People Power Party on Saturday to stop "writing fiction through baseless distortions and political attacks."

Democratic Party floor spokesperson Jeon Eun-su issued a statement saying President Lee Jae Myung had "clearly stated at the press conference, 'I have absolutely no intention of seeking a second term,'" and criticized the PPP for "nitpicking over his words" by demanding he make a formal declaration that he would not seek re-election.

On the president's request to remove the "power to withdraw indictments" clause from the special prosecutor act on fabricated indictments, Jeon said Lee had personally asked that "the very clause the PPP had consistently taken issue with" be deleted — yet the PPP was still portraying Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won as someone tasked with "completing the mission of withdrawing indictments."

The spokesperson went on to say the PPP was "still misreading the president's words," asking, "At this point, are they simply choosing to hear only what they want to hear?"

Jeon urged the PPP to "stop wandering outside the National Assembly and scheming to mislead the public with falsehoods," and instead cooperate in the Assembly on measures to stabilize prices and address other livelihood concerns.


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