On the 3rd, Gyeonggi Governor Lee Jae-myung said, “I think that expressing my position is putting a burden on the president who has the right to amnesty” on the’Amnesty of Ex-Presidents Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye’ proposed by Democratic Party representative Lee Nak-yeon. In a press interview that day, he said, “Please understand that I am not telling you” when asked about the position on amnesty, which emerged as the biggest topic in the political world at the beginning of the year.
Silence this time… Four years ago, it was proposed to be’not pardonable’ in the literature
Governor Lee Jae-myeong’s delay in expressing his position on the amnesty seems to have been heavily politically calculated.
On March 13, 2017, Seongnam Mayor Lee Jae-myeong, a runner-up for the Democratic Party’s presidential election, held a press conference to propose the six primary candidates for the contest and appeal to the public at the Seoul Yeouido National Assembly Jeongon Hall. News 1
Four years ago, Governor Lee raised the ambition of pardon for former President Park Geun-hye in the Democratic Presidential Candidate. President Moon Jae-in and former Chungnam governor Ahn Hee-jeong, who were rivals at the time, were pressured to “jointly declare the impossibility of pardon”. This was before Park’s former president was even prosecuted. Governor Lee asserted that “there is no reconciliation without reflection, and there is no integration without liquidation,” under the stance of’pre-clearance-post integration’.
At the time, the two candidates who received the Governor’s proposal showed a negative position. President Moon said, “It seems a little early for the presidential candidates to say whether they are arrested, disabled, or pardoned.” Governor Ahn said, “The right to pardon is determined through the consent of the people. He replied, “I wonder if it is an’excessive expression’ to declare that an immediate pardon is not allowed.” When the proposal was not accepted, Lee also fought with the two candidates.
“Against the pardon”… Strategic Silence Interpretation Diagram
Governor Lee, who proposed the invulnerability of amnesty to President Moon, turned upside down four years later and was in a position to be asked,’How do you view the amnesty proposal for President Moon?’ Officials from the governor say that the position was delayed, but it did not change the meaning. An aide of the Governor said, “I know that there is still no change in that position (pre-liquidation-after integration).” This is the reason why Governor Lee’s silence within the ruling party is interpreted as “I don’t speak, but basically the opposite position of amnesty” (metropolitan lawmakers).
There is also an analysis that in the political world, Governor Lee chose’strategic silence’ again. It is similar to what he kept from refraining from specific mentions in the’Chumiae-Yun Seokyeol’ conflict at the end of last year. Professor Kim Hyung-jun of Myongji University (Political Science and Diplomacy) said, “If you propose the impossibility of amnesty, the middle-class revolt is expected. In the end, he said he would watch the situation without getting blood on his hand.”
Instead, the Governor’s focus is on policy issues, not political issues. On the 1st, Governor Lee threw up policy agendas such as: ▶Expanding basic economic rights such as basic income policy ▶pursuing a fair world ▶Expanding welfare ▶Balanced development in the north and east of Gyeonggi-do and establishing peace through a Facebook post on the 1st. An official from Gyeonggi Province said, “The Governor’s key stance is to focus on the prevention of Corona 19, which is important to the public, and the recovery of the public’s economy.”
However, if the amnesty theory comes to the fore in the future, it is difficult for the governor to continue avoiding this controversy. A member of the lawmaker close to Governor Lee said, “I did not publicly comment to relieve the President’s burden, but the basic structure of the amnesty debate in the future is to ask President Moon to choose between Nak-yeon Lee (for pardon) or Jae-myeong Lee (against pardon). Will”.
Reporter Kim Jun-young [email protected]