0
Lee Jae-myung, presidential candidate of the opposition Democratic Party, forms a heart gesture during a major campaign rally at the north plaza of Bupyeong Station in Incheon on May 21. / Source: Yonhap News

Lee Jae-myung, presidential candidate for the opposition Democratic Party, on May 21 rebuked the ruling party’s criticism of his use of bulletproof glass during campaign events, asking, “How can you joke about a politician who has already been stabbed in the neck?”

Speaking at a rally in front of Bupyeong Station in Incheon, Lee referenced continued threats to his safety, saying, “The plot to eliminate political rivals still goes on.” His comments came a day after ruling People Power Party (PPP) candidate Kim Moon-soo mocked Lee’s security measures during a rally in southern Seoul, questioning, “Why wear a bulletproof vest? I, Kim Moon-soo, don’t need bulletproof glass or police protection.”

Lee condemned the rhetoric, warning, “The head of a past rebellion has stood trial, but the rebellion itself hasn’t ended. We continue to see attempts at a second, third rebellion.” He alleged that key figures behind such actions still linger in state institutions, “conspiring for a fourth and fifth insurrection.”

Calling for civic action, he urged, “We must fully suppress this rebellion and build a true democratic republic, where the people are the real owners. On June 3, you must create that country with your own hands.”

Lee also invoked the legacy of Cho Bong-am, a progressive politician executed in 1959 under the Syngman Rhee government. “He pioneered land reform and helped lay the foundation for capitalism in this country,” Lee said. “But because he was a political threat, Rhee branded him a spy and had him falsely charged and sentenced to death by an unjust judiciary.”

“Is it the fault of me or the Democratic Party that we campaign behind bulletproof glass and with security personnel?” Lee asked. “It’s they who created these circumstances. Yet instead of reflecting, they insult the public.”

Lee concluded by urging voters to transform the nation. “I ask you to tear down this abnormal and irrational country with your own hands,” he said. “Let’s build a truly democratic nation where no one is executed through judicial murder, stabbed to death, or shot — but where everyone competes fairly.”