[YTN radio news fighting]
□ Broadcasting: FM 94.5 (07:15-09:00)
□ Broadcast date and time: January 10, 2025 (Fri)
□ Host: Kim Woo-sung PD
□ Cast: Lee Sang-min, former member of the People's Power (phone)
* The text below may differ from the actual broadcast content, so please check the broadcast for more accurate information.
[Please tell us that this is the interview for YTN Radio <News Fighting>]
◆ Producer Kim Woo-sung (hereinafter referred to as Kim Woo-sung): Yes, it's a morning when I feel hungry to know the world. Don't worry. We will let you know well during the news war time when we dig into the news and forecast the news. Let's dig in and have a look. Let's talk with former lawmaker Lee Sang-min on the phone. How are you, Senator?
◇ Lee Sang-min, former member of the People's Power (hereinafter referred to as Lee Sang-min): Yes, hello.
◆ [Kim Woo-sung] Yes, it's a very cold morning. I think Jungkook is frozen, too. First of all, there are many evaluations within the People's Power Party that the independent counsel law for independent counsel Kim Gun-hee was rejected in the re-vote, but it was automatically abolished, but it was narrowly rejected. There were a lot of articles about the departure ticket, so what did you think?
◇ Lee Sang-min: Yes, it's not an easy situation even if the people's power is already united, but there must be some cracks inside anyway. I think there are some areas where the party leadership has not been able to unite this. Also, the power of the people who voted for the independent counsel bill should have expressed their position during the discussion. The party's opinion was unexpectedly decided to reject the bill. I don't think it is appropriate for a lawmaker in the same party to do so in favor of a secret ballot. Rather, when discussing, shouldn't we have talked honestly and gathered in the process of determining a certain part of the party's theory? We should have shown that, but some of it did, and that part is a very painful part for the people's power.
◆ Kim Woo-sung: Yes, we have to speak up in one voice, but we have enough discussions at the general meeting. They point out why we are acting arbitrarily at the voting site, but our people don't know anything like a protocol. Let's change our minds on the Special Prosecutors' Act, which is an argument or discussion between Rep. Kim Sang-wook and Rep. Han Ji-ah. Is it a democratic discussion that is commonly referred to as this? We don't really know.
◇ Lee Sang-min: Of course, it's certainly not easy for minority opinions to express when the majority of the atmosphere leads to a certain conclusion like this. However, despite such an atmosphere, it is a democratic style that one has to reasonably conclude some conclusions through discussion. You have to do that. You have to endure that and do it, but if you don't say anything and then hold a different vote after the secret ballot, wouldn't it end up causing an unexpected blow to the party?
◆ [Kim Woo-sung] Should we continue in this situation? Now, Kwon Sung-dong, the floor leader, has even appeared in several people, including Representative Kim Sang-wook. I've talked about it this much, but I think there's a lot of talk about this. What do you think? I'm protesting.
◇ Lee Sang-min: I don't think that was an appropriate attitude either. Of course, from the leadership's point of view, the case of Representative Kim Sang-wook, who broke away from the party's theory, would have been very disappointed. However, asking them to leave the party immediately conflicts with the conviction of individual lawmakers. Anyway, it is not very appropriate to talk about leaving the party or leaving the party as a representative of the people, and it has a very negative side effect of suppressing the expression of democratic opinions and minority opinions. And I don't think it's a democratic atmosphere to immediately impose sanctions like this, ignoring active debates within the party or the existence of minority opinions. And wouldn't it look very small even from the outside?
◆ Kim Woo-sung: Yes, lawmaker Kim Sang-wook is saying that the president of Yoon Suk Yeol should be removed or expelled. What do you think of this part?
◇ Lee Sang-min: That's not right either. Whether President Yoon Suk Yeol did well or not, I think it is a part of the people's power that everyone should share and bear the merits together. Until now, in the political world, there are cases where the president or anyone else has done something undesirable, or when there is a mistake, they leave the party or leave the party as if they are irrelevant. But that is, so to speak, deceiving and blindfolding, but is the power of the people irrelevant? If there was a mistake made by President Yoon Suk Yeol now, I think the responsibility is also great for the power of the people of the ruling party, which played an active or passive role in creating such conditions. This is something that needs to be carried with the burden, but I don't think it's a desirable political attitude to leave the Yoon Suk Yeol as if you're just saying goodbye.
◆ Kim Woo-sung: You're a fifth-term lawmaker who has experienced both ruling and opposition parties. You are now a member of the People's Power, but the opposition party has proposed an amendment. The Special Prosecutor's Law, the Special Prosecutor's Law. Let's get rid of recommendations and third-party non-soil rights and reduce the scope of the period a little, and there is still a toxic clause in the power of the people. We said we would come up with a separate proposal, but can we launch a special prosecutor for rebellion through the amendment? How do you view it? I think you know the inside of these two parties better.
◇ Lee Sang-min: Well, I don't think it's impossible if we originally made a third-party recommendation and reached an agreement through behind-the-scenes dialogue between the ruling and opposition parties. But isn't it a matter that was rejected because the bill was unilaterally passed and the acting president exercised his veto to re-decision? If it is abolished that the same agenda cannot be deliberated continuously within the same session, it takes a certain amount of time to work hard and reserve it, but I think the opposition Democratic Party's attitude is very undesirable. Rather than feeling its intentions pure and genuine, there is such a scheme to collapse the Yoon Suk Yeol government and the ruling party through continuous political attacks. If that happens, will the power of the other people be able to respond immediately? In that sense, I think the Democratic Party is showing the foolishness of rushing, rushing, and shoddy.
◆ Kim Woo-sung: You said that you are pushing ahead with it in a hurry and in a hasty manner. Do you think there is a background behind that?
◇ Lee Sang-min: Oh, that's what. Isn't CEO Lee Jae-myung involved in several trials right now, such as the Public Official Election Act and other cases, such as the second trial ruling, the first trial ruling, and the Daejang-dong case? If representative Lee Jae-myung continues to make such rulings, representative Lee Jae-myung and the Democratic Party are very nervous right now. If it comes out, a huge risk becomes a reality, and if it happens, it won't be able to run in the presidential election, and then it will collapse. That is, for Lee Jae-myung's sake or because of the Democratic Party's party's partisan interests, the entire country's political situation is in conflict and various special prosecution laws and impeachment are being abused, so we cannot be swayed by the Democratic Party's aggression from the standpoint of our people's power. I have these thoughts and I'm wary.
◆ Kim Woo-sung: Yes, whenever you talk about that background, they say that the Democratic Party is different, but especially the Constitutional Court does not deal with President Yoon quickly, so the presidential case Yoon Suk Yeol is much later than the time to set the deadline. Nevertheless, he criticized the impeachment prosecution to the extent that removing the charges of rebellion under the criminal law should be re-voted by the National Assembly. What is your position?
◇ Lee Sang-min: In order for an impeachment trial to take place, shouldn't a certain number of presidents in the National Assembly pass it with the approval of two-thirds of the registered president or a general prime minister or minister? And it's only possible to specify certain reasons for impeachment and to pass the vote in the plenary session of the National Assembly. In other words, the legal requirements for the impeachment trial in the Constitutional Court and the prosecution requirements require the approval of a vote in the National Assembly. If there is a change in the impeachment trial, the litigation requirements are no different from disappearing. So, because there are no other conditions for the lawsuit, an impeachment trial cannot be conducted in the Constitutional Court without the approval of the National Assembly, so the logic of making a dismissal decision and re-decision at the National Assembly is that the Constitutional Court can hold an impeachment trial with a new reason only after approval. However, the National Assembly's lawyers and the Democratic Party's lawyers responded, but now the Democratic Party of Korea changes its words, saying that it is a constitutional reorganization, but I don't think that's a cowardly and honest attitude. If you want to remove the crime of rebellion by doing so quickly, a significant part of the reasons for the impeachment of the Yoon Suk Yeol president is the crime of rebellion, and if you exclude it, there is no requirement for passing the impeachment in the National Assembly because it has made a fundamental change, I think the Constitutional Court should decide to dismiss it, decide to dismiss it, and the National Assembly should vote again with a new reason and a changed reason.
◆ [Kim Woosung] Okay. Last time, you also interviewed President Yoon Suk Yeol to confidently respond to the investigation. However, we have set conditions ahead of the execution of the second arrest warrant. If it's not the Western District Court, you'll respond to the investigation. Just claim an arrest warrant. There are comments like this, not an arrest warrant. How did you see this?
◇ Lee Sang-min: Yes, as an incumbent president, don't you think an arrest warrant is issued within 48 hours when you don't respond to the investigative agency's request for summons? I said, "If the incumbent president doesn't comply with it, rather than noisy the world and train public opinion, the president should borrow the form of voluntary appearance and just do it." Legally, Korea has a grand principle of presumption of innocence and accordingly, investigation without detention is the principle. If the incumbent president of Yoon Suk Yeol is arrested, forced to postpone or handcuff him, it will be broadcasted worldwide in real time, which will be a huge blow to the national image and national interest.
◆ [Kim Woo-sung] So you mean volunteer to go out.
◇ Lee Sang-min: Considering this disadvantage of dividing the public opinion, I think one way is to prosecute President Yoon Suk Yeol's lawyers at all or to formally issue a warrant through an arrest warrant request. And I think, if you're more wise, that the Airborne and the police are trying to arrest a sitting president like this is just trying to fill their own, so to speak, hero mentality, and not actually wise.
◆ [Kim Woo-sung] You're looking at it like this again as a hero. Former lawmaker Kim Min, who is classified as a pro-Yoon-gye, brought young people using the so-called Baekgol-dan of the National Assembly. The party is drawing a line and the opposition party is protesting, but I think you know it well because you have more historical experience than anyone else. How did you see this?
◇ Lee Sang-min: I don't know. Anyway, some of them, including the name, did former lawmaker Kim Min need to put them in front of the public in the National Assembly's orthodoxy? Contrary to its authenticity, we have to be very careful about things that can have a negative impact, but I think it was too careless, especially in a very sensitive political situation like now.
◆ [Kim Woo-sung] Yes, I said it was careless. In any case, the execution of a second arrest warrant in various investigations could also mobilize more than 3,000 detectives. As you said, the president's arrest can cause many other negative aspects, such as the appearance of the president being arrested, but please suggest a short word about how to solve it, such as the power of the people or the presidential office, rather than the claims of investigative agencies or opposition parties.
◇ Lee Sang-min: No, he said he'd stand up to it confidently, so there's a lot of things to say, but I think it's better to appear voluntarily than to be forced to go and do this. From the standpoint of the Senior Civil Servant Corruption Investigations Unit and the police's investigative agency, however, if they have to think about the national interest and think about the national image and end up being criminally punished by mistake, they should be punished through a court conviction. The fact that the Senior Civil Servant Corruption Investigations Unit is trying to forcefully arrest the incumbent president, who has secured evidence, has no fear of destroying evidence, and has no fear of running away, hurting the national interest or national image is based on some kind of small heroism that the Senior Civil Servant Corruption Investigations Unit is trying to break through in a very poor position. I think it is undesirable.
◆ [Kim Woosung] Yes, sir. You pointed out that you are into the heroism of the vortex. It was the opinion of former lawmaker Lee Sang-min. That's all for today. Thank you.
◇ Lee Sang-min: Yes, thank you.
◆ Kim Woo-sung: Yes, this has been Lee Sang-min, former lawmaker of the People's Power.
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