From news reports
Rep. Choo Mi-ae, the leader of the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea, lashed out at the prosecution Thursday, calling it “politically minded” and accusing it of “trumping up” criminal charges against her and other lawmakers.
Her accusations came a day after state prosecutors indicted her and 13 other party lawmakers on charges of violating election rules during the April parliamentary election.
“It is a false, concocted indictment,” the Minjoo chief said during an emergency session of her party’s decision-making Supreme Council.
Choo said that prosecutors had leveled charges against her and her colleagues as a “retaliatory” step against the opposition party, which recently made a series of corruption allegations involving some of President Park Geun-hye’s close aides.
Rep. Choo Mi-ae (Park Hae-mook/The Korea Herald)
“I will never let it slip by should (the government) capitalize on the law to conceal any corruption (committed by top government officials),” she said. “We will definitely win in the presidential election (next year), shore up justice and return the prosecution to the people.”
Among Minjoo members indicted is Rep. Yun Ho-jung, the party’s top policymaker, and the chief campaign manager of National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun.
When convicted of an election law violation and sentenced to a fine of 1 million won ($880) or more, a lawmaker automatically loses his or her parliamentary seat.
The ruling Saenuri Party, meanwhile, said, “Everybody is equal before the law.
“The opposition party says the prosecution’s measure was intended to repress it or retaliate against it,” Saenuri spokesman Kim Sung-won told reporters. “But this reaction shows its overbearing attitude to reign over the law.”
Twelve Saenuri lawmakers were also indicted for election law violations, the party said.
koreaherald@heraldcorp.com
