South Korean Opposition Leader Accuses President of 'Credit-Stealing Politics'

Jeong Jin-seok, the floor leader of the People Power Party, has strongly criticized President Lee Jae-myung's administration, accusing it of "credit-stealing politics" and populism.

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President Lee Jae-myung should stop credit-stealing politics that steals corporate achievements and stop populist politics that makes the public's taxes look like his own charity donations.

Jeong stated that the government claims credit for economic successes, particularly those driven by private companies like Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, which propelled the KOSPI to 9,000 points. He argued that the Lee administration was "busy congratulating itself" for these achievements, rather than acknowledging the true drivers.

"The Lee administration's approach to state affairs can be summarized as taking credit when things go well and staying silent and blaming others when they go wrong," Jeong said during a Supreme Council meeting. He further accused the administration of using major semiconductor companies as "political tools for rewards," likening it to "squeezing a dry towel."

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The Lee administration's approach to state affairs can be summarized as taking credit when things go well and staying silent and blaming others when they go wrong.

The floor leader also targeted the Democratic Party's efforts to abolish the prosecution's supplementary investigation rights. He called it "low-level demagoguery" to incite anti-prosecution sentiment by evoking nostalgia for former President Roh Moo-hyun. Jeong questioned whether President Lee's sudden shift in stance on abolishing these rights, against his previous cautious position, was a trade-off for the dismissal of charges in his own trial.

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This is nothing more than a rehash of an image-making show that exploits major corporate leaders again.

Jeong specifically criticized the recent "San Francisco Declaration," suggesting it was an "image-making show" that unnecessarily involved business leaders. He questioned the need to hold such an event in San Francisco when it could have been announced in Seoul, implying it was a rehash of a publicity stunt using corporate leaders.

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This is low-level demagoguery.