PROSECUTORS RAID OFFICE OF LEE’S AIDE

[Anchor Lead]

Prosecutors have raided the office of a close aide of Democratic Party chairman Lee Jae-myung. It's part of their probe into illegal political fund allegations involving Kim Yong, deputy head of the think tank, Institute for Democracy. The DP blasted the move, saying it's aimed at crushing the opposition. The DP decided not to attend President Yoon Suk-yeol's budget speech scheduled in parliament on Tuesday.

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Prosecutors on Monday raided the office of the Institute for Democracy, a DP-affiliated think tank located inside party headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul. It was the second such attempt after the first one fell through five days ago. Investigators and DP officials were locked in a standoff for more than 5 hours after which the raid went ahead from 2 p.m. and lasted for about two and a half hours. Prosecutors are known to have seized 4 document files from a publicly used computer at the institute, including a list of party officials. Following news of the search, the DP convened a meeting of its lawmakers and decided not to take part in Monday morning's parliamentary audit. Later, it held a protest rally outside the presidential office, denouncing the prosecution's move.

[Soundbite] Park Hong-keun(Floor Leader, Democratic Party) : "I believe cooperative politics are over. We sternly protest and condemn the Yoon administration for trying to fight the public."

Party chairman Lee Jae-myung, apparently in tears, said a horrific incident unprecedented in the country's history was taking place.

[Soundbite] Lee Jae-myung(Chair, Democratic Party) : "I hope the people do not forget this moment of history and safeguard the retreating democracy by all means."

DP lawmakers reconvened their meeting in the afternoon and pledged to boycott President Yoon's budget speech slated for Tuesday. In another meeting held Tuesday morning, the DP reaffirmed its boycott of Yoon's speech. It said that politics have disappeared and all that is left is a security regime ruled by a dictatorial prosecution. With the boycott, Yoon has become the first South Korean leader to give a policy speech in parliament without the opposition's attendance. The People Power Party's floor leader Joo Ho-young has blasted the DP's decision as "totally inappropriate and completely disregarding of its duties."