LEE JAE-MYUNG ADMITS RESPONSIBILITY

[Anchor Lead]

For the first time Lee Jae-myung admitted responsibility for and expressed regret about the arrest of former acting chief of Seongnam Development Corporation Yoo Dong-kyu. Lee served as Seongnam mayor when the controversial land development project was carried out. But he sharply denied his involvement in the allegations and dismissed the People Power Party's demand to drop out of the presidential race.

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Before outlining his campaign pledges for the capital city, Lee Jae-myung addressed the elephant in the room, commenting on the land development scandal in Daejang-dong, Seongnam City. He continued to elaborate for half an hour. Lee admitted responsibility for the arrest of former acting chief of Seongnam Development Corporation Yoo Dong-kyu.

[Soundbite] Lee Jae-myung(DP Presidential Candidate) : "It's very unfortunate to be implicated in this unpleasant incident that involves my former subordinate. I tried my best to prevent such things from happening, but it wasn't enough."

However, Lee stressed it was a moral responsibility, and warned against drawing baseless links between him and the arrested official. He dismissed the People Power Party's demand to drop out of the presidential race and resign from his current post as Gyeonggi-do Province governor.

[Soundbite] Lee Jae-myung(DP Presidential Candidate) : "If I step down because of the personal misconduct of my former subordinates, then all public officials in S. Korea must also resign. If someone at the Electric Power Corporation is found to have accepted a bribe and committed irregularities, does it mean the president must resign?"

Candidate Lee Nak-yon focused on announcing his own blueprint including his pledge to send an envoy to North Korea if elected president. He did not comment on the land development scandal. However, his camp is calling for an investigation to find out who initially issued the instructions in the Daejang-dong project, pinpointing that the person who gave the orders is the key figure of interest. The Lee Nak-yon camp is mulling stepping up its offensive, believing that the outcome of the primaries can still be turned around. Some blasted Lee Jae-myung for just expressing regret for the controversial land development project he personally masterminded.