Yoo Si-min: "President Lee's Judgment Is Very Wrong"... Ruling Party Lawmakers Call It "No Different from a Curse"

Backlash Erupts Within the Ruling Party Over Yoo Si-min's Remarks

Author Yoo Si-min criticized President Lee Jae-myung's policy on "prosecutorial reform" and his handling of state affairs, saying, "He is making a very wrong judgment," and, "He is acting in a way that harms himself and is not good for the country." These remarks have drawn continued pushback from within the ruling bloc.

On July 15, appearing on the YouTube show "Maebul Show," Yoo analyzed the direction of President Lee's reforms, including prosecutorial reform, and criticized his governance, saying, "We need to confront reality." Yoo went on to argue, "Ultimately, for the public to complete prosecutorial reform or for politics to progress in a more reasonable and desirable direction, it is necessary for citizens to see exactly why all these events are happening as they are."

Yoo further commented, "It seems like President Lee is contemplating a political realignment," and pointed out, "Regardless of right or wrong, he is heading down an inevitably unsuccessful path." Concerning prosecutorial reform, he argued that the reason for a delay of over a year since the administration took office is "because the President himself does not want a complete separation of investigative and prosecutorial powers."

Yet Yoo remarked, "If I turn out to be wrong and the President succeeds with everyone’s support—be it with redevelopment or reconstruction—then I will have no regrets," adding, "Regardless of what political choices the President makes, I will always be supportive of his life." He continued, "If my prediction is wrong and President Lee manages to secure a structural majority and even achieve a renewal of his administration, that would be a good thing. However, at present, it seems as though he is sending the message 'in the end, I am the one who does it.' I hope he returns to the stance of 'in the end, it is the people who do it.'"

The reaction from the ruling bloc has been intense. Park Honggeun, a Democratic Party member currently serving as Minister of Planning and Budget, wrote on social media, "It is hard to believe that such words could come from a comrade who endured the cold, dark winter nights of martial law together with us," and added, "The government has already delegated the supplemental investigative authority issue to the party, and is in the process of resolving it according to procedure." He rebutted, "Other problem-raising regarding political realignment, etc. is nothing more than speculation and imagination on Yoo’s part without any grounds," and said, "Such criticism is nothing different from a curse. I sincerely hope you will return to your former self, who embraced the broad progressive camp and served as a beacon."

Democratic Party lawmaker Park Ji-won also took to social media, stating that Yoo Si-min’s remarks had left him restless and criticizing Yoo by bringing up his previous actions during former President Kim Dae-jung's administration. Park said, "Throughout all five years of DJ’s government, Yoo Si-min caused unrest and trouble." Despite such disruptive interference, he continued, "DJ is recorded as the most successful and respected president both in our history and by the world." Park added, "President Lee, too, despite Yoo’s baseless disruption, is on the road to inevitable success, not failure. If you pestered DJ for five years, that is enough—now you should help President Lee achieve inevitable success so that forces of insurrection cannot emerge."

Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Namjun also criticized via social media, "Yoo Si-min’s remarks are less a bitter criticism for reform and more a venomous speech that only creates more opponents of reform." Kim stated, "The President and the Democratic Party have passed legislation to abolish the Prosecutors’ Office and establish the Office of Public Prosecution and the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency, in order to separate investigation and indictment. If that is not reform, then what is?" He added, "Reform always involves resistance—what is necessary is to bear the inevitable resistance, but minimize unnecessary hostility and expand public support in order to 'reduce the total volume of resistance.' That is a responsible approach that maximizes the potential for reform." He emphasized, "Reform is politics that increases support among the people, not the number of adversaries," and urged, "Do not distort the President’s words to make him out as the enemy."

Kang Deukgu, a Supreme Council member of the Democratic Party, criticized on the July 16 SBS radio program "Kim Taehyun’s Political Show," saying, "He has crossed the line" and "There are doctrinal aspects in his remarks."

In relation to these comments, Woo Sangho, Governor of Gangwon Province and former Senior Presidential Secretary for Political Affairs, appeared on the CBS radio program "Park Seongtae’s News Show" and, regarding the current administration’s recruitment of conservative figures, said, "I see this as an expansion of the coalition, rather than a reconstruction or redesign. Viewing this as a wholesale overhaul of the main political forces is a misjudgment." On prosecutorial reform, he stated, "The investigation and prosecution functions have clearly been separated," and explained, "What the President was concerned about was whether the police could really be trusted." Woo added, "When people calling for prosecutorial reform asked the President for alternatives, not once have they provided any. To interpret the President’s request for supplementary measures as opposition to reform is something I cannot understand."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.