The answer doesn’t lie with outdoor rallies

The time has come for the Democratic Party to recognize the authority of the bench and humbly accept the first ruling from the court.

In Saturday’s massive rally in downtown Seoul, Democratic Party (DP) leader Lee Jae-myung shouted, “I’ll never die. Let’s fight together!” The emotional reaction came just a day after the Seoul Central District Court sentenced him to one year in prison, suspended for two years, on a charge of violating the Election Act. Rep. Park Chan-dae, floor leader of the majority party, called the sentence a “crazy ruling under the crazy government to remove its political foes.”

A DP spokesperson joined the chorus by portraying the first ruling as “legal technicians’ vicious attempt to punish what Lee said in a media interview and during the audit of the government.” Just a few days ago, the DP raised next year’s budget for the judiciary by 24.6 billion won ($17.6 million) to win its favor. But after the ruling, members of the DP are rushing to attack the judiciary.

The party has expressed the will to embark on outdoor rallies to turn the tide by resorting to extreme rhetoric such as “a judicial assassination” or “political repression.” The DP apparently wants to find a way out by staging outdoor rallies, but we wonder how many citizens would support the move. In the past, Lee habitually posted messages respecting the authority of courts — for instance, “The interpretation of laws is done by prosecutors and judges, not politicians” or “If people commit a crime, they must be punished” — after the impeachments of two former presidents Park Geun-hye and Lee Myung-bak. Why has Lee changed his mind this time?

Shortly after the guilty ruling, Lee said, “The court of public sentiment and history is permanent.” We wonder why there should be a difference between that court and the real court. Looking back, former Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook also defended herself by proclaiming, “I’m not guilty in the court of conscience and history” after receiving a sentence of two years in prison for illegally pocketing over 900 million won from a constructor. We urge Lee to settle his case with legal logic instead of inciting citizens to draw their support.

We also hope the DP wakes up before it’s too late. After the opposition came under Lee’s unilateral control through the Apr. 10 parliamentary elections, any reason and common sense disappeared from the party. If DP lawmakers continue to volunteer as loyal defenders of Lee, it will only backfire because swing voters will increasingly shun the party except for a few ardent supporters of Lee. It’s not the time for the majority party to fuel anti-government sentiment among the public. The time has come for the DP to recognize the authority of the bench and humbly accept the first ruling from the court.