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Lee Jae-myung, presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), speaks to citizens during a major campaign rally at Yangsan Water Park in South Gyeongsang Province on April 22, calling for their support. / Source: Yonhap News

During a campaign rally in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, on April 22, Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung launched a fierce criticism of the prosecution over its indictment of former President Moon Jae-in, whose residence is located in the city.

“I can’t understand if the prosecutors have lost their minds,” Lee said, questioning the legal logic behind the charges. Referring to Moon's indictment on bribery charges, Lee asked, “Why are they going so far to fabricate crimes that don’t exist?”

Lee criticized the logistics of the trial as well, saying, “He has to travel hundreds of kilometers to Seoul for a one-night, two-day trial. Why is that necessary?” He emphasized that prosecutions should be filed based on the defendant’s place of residence, calling the current approach “against principle.”

Drawing on his own legal battles, Lee added, “I’ve been indicted in at least five different places. They filed the warrant in one jurisdiction and then split the charges into separate prosecutions,” accusing prosecutors of indiscriminately pursuing baseless cases against him.

Lee also took aim at former President Yoon Suk Yeol for watching a documentary alleging election fraud. “If it was a fraudulent election, how did he win?” Lee asked. “Are they saying I rigged the election to narrowly lose? That doesn’t make any sense.”

He criticized Yoon’s rhetoric, saying, “The people are the state. How can they be labeled anti-state forces? The real anti-state force is Yoon himself.”

Lee closed by underscoring the need for political unity. “The most important job of politicians is to bring people together,” he said. “People will have different interests and may clash, but the role of politics is to minimize conflict, promote dialogue, and find reasonable compromises. That is the essence of unity.”