The ruling and opposition parties clash head-on over ‘accomplice to rebellion’ vs ‘political revenge’ as Choo Kyung-ho is sentenced to 20 years in prison

(Seoul, Chungju = Yonhap News) Reporters Lee Jeong-hyeon, Park Gyeong-joon, and Kwon Hee-won = On the 30th, the ruling and opposition parties clashed, giving conflicting reactions when Daegu Mayor Chu Kyung-ho of the People Power Party was sentenced to 20 years in prison for interfering with the People Power Party lawmakers' vote to lift martial law during the December 3 emergency martial law.

Park Seong-joon, chief spokesperson of the Democratic Party of Korea, said in a written briefing that day, "The special prosecutor's sentence of 20 years in prison for Choo Kyung-ho is a natural result." He added, "Outside, Yoon Seok-yeol trampled the National Assembly with military fire, and inside, Choo Kyung-ho bought time for martial law."

He emphasized, “Because it was clear that Choo Kyung-ho was an accomplice in the rebellion, the special prosecutor also requested a heavy sentence of 20 years in prison,” and added, “Chu Kyung-ho, who supported Yoon Seok-yeol’s illegal martial law in the party, should receive a correspondingly heavy punishment.”

He added, “The court must hand down a strict sentence to Choo Kyung-ho befitting the crime of violating the national constitution so that civil war can never set foot in this land again.”

On the other hand, Jang Dong-hyuk, the leader of the People Power Party, wrote on Facebook, "It is clear political retaliation and an absurd 'insurrection campaign.' The special prosecutor himself admitted that he is a loyalist of the regime and a 'political special prosecutor.'" He added, "100% innocent! The judiciary will make the right decision. The person who should be tried is not Mayor Chu, but President Lee Jae-myung."

Even after holding a meeting to survey farmland in Chungju, Representative Jang told reporters, “If you look at the testimonies of relevant witnesses, it has been proven through the evidence investigation that there was no act of obstructing the vote.”

Chief Spokesperson Park Chung-kwon also said in a commentary, "We cannot shake the suspicion that the special prosecutor may have gone to extreme lengths to divert attention as negative news about the state's affairs continues, such as the president's approval rating falling, the DMZ land mine explosion, and the government's controversy over repatriation of North Korean prisoners of war."

He added, “The court must make a cool-headed judgment based only on legal principles and evidence,” and added, “The People Power Party will confidently stand against ruthless political oppression.”