Lee Instructs Review on Relocating Presidential Office to Sejong, Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, attends the fifth appellate trial at the Seoul High Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on February 26, 2025, regarding charges of violating the official election law., “On September 2023, Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung criticized lawmakers who supported his arrest warrant, labeling it as a ‘collusion between the prosecution and some within the party’ and asserted that they ‘must be held accountable.’ In response, non-Lee affiliated members of the party voiced their objection, questioning if it wasn’t enough to figuratively ‘stab them in the back’ during the last general election.”
On a YouTube broadcast on the 5th, Lee revealed a conversation with a key party figure back in June 2023, stating, “That person told me, ‘You will face legal action, so for your sake and the party’s, you should resign as party leader.'” He added that the timing coincided with the prosecution’s request for an arrest warrant. Lee emphasized, “The lawmakers who defected should be held accountable. That’s what a democratic party does,” and criticized those using the party as a personal tool for allegedly colluding with opposition parties.”
Following Lee’s remarks, a group of former lawmakers called Choi-il-hoe released a statement denouncing the comments as “an insult to colleagues and a serious defamation,” expressing shock at his “divisive comments while discussing party unity.” With the controversy growing, Lee later met with reporters in the afternoon, dismissing it as “a thing of the past.”
Meanwhile, it is reported that Lee recently instructed a review of the possibility of relocating the presidential office to Sejong during a leadership meeting. A Democratic Party official mentioned that Lee might seriously consider the Sejong relocation agenda as part of efforts to ‘erase traces of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration’ and for regional balanced development. Some speculate that this move could be in anticipation of an impeachment ruling and an early presidential election victory.