Seoul Metropolitan Government Tells Kim Min-seok, "Stop Pressuring the Judiciary"

[Financial News] Seoul Metropolitan Government strongly protested against Kim Min-seok, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, saying, "Stop pressuring the judiciary."
Lee Jong-hyun, Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Special Adviser for Public Communication on Livelihoods, issued a statement on the 10th, criticizing Kim by saying, "The appeal trial involving the Seoul Metropolitan City Mayor has only just begun, yet Leader Kim effectively prejudged the trial’s outcome by saying that a by-election is '99.99% certain.' Is he instructing the judiciary, which is currently hearing the case, to reach this conclusion?"
Earlier that day, Kim appeared on the Democratic Party of Korea’s YouTube channel and explained notes identifying him as a potential 'Seoul mayoral candidate' that were recently spotted in his notebook in the National Assembly chamber. He said, "I believe there is a 99.99% chance that both the Seoul mayoral election and the Gangneung National Assembly by-election will take place."
Kim’s notebook contained the names of Kang Hoon-sik, Chief of Staff to the President; Woo Won-shik, former Speaker of the National Assembly; and Jung Cheong-rae, former leader of the Democratic Party of Korea. Kim explained, "I simply wrote down what newly mentioned individuals and various other people told me," adding, "I wrote it while analyzing what kind of candidate could appeal to Seoul voters and serve as a winning candidate."
Lee responded, "Does the Democratic Party of Korea not recognize the judiciary as one of the three branches of government? Or does it believe that it stands above the three branches and can direct them?" He added, "It will be difficult to avoid criticism that this is a new means of pressuring the court to deliver the party’s desired conclusion, going beyond a mere political statement."
Lee also took issue with treating the Seoul Metropolitan City mayoral by-election as a foregone conclusion, saying it could undermine the stability of the city administration.
Lee said, "At a time when instability in the real estate market and difficulties in people’s livelihoods continue, treating a Seoul Metropolitan City mayoral by-election as a foregone conclusion and destabilizing the city administration is irresponsible behavior for the leader of the ruling party." He emphasized, "The serious administration of Seoul, which is responsible for the lives of 10 million citizens, is not something that can be shaken by the Democratic Party of Korea’s electoral calculations."
He continued, "The Seoul Metropolitan City Mayor is focused on people’s livelihoods and city administration, and Seoul Metropolitan Government officials are also working for citizens without wavering." He added, "The position of Seoul Metropolitan City Mayor is not decided in the notebook of the Democratic Party of Korea’s leader."
Lee urged Kim, "Immediately stop making reckless remarks and applying pressure against the judiciary, and apologize for your flippant conduct, which even insulted the choice of Seoul’s citizens."

[email protected] Lee Seol-young Reporter