▲ Rep. Lee Jae-myung (C), surrounded by the leadership of the main opposition Democratic Party, sits cross-legged as he begins a hunger strike against the government of President Yoon Suk Yeol in front of the National Assembly building in Seoul on Aug. 31, 2023. (Yonhap)
▲ Rep. Lee Jae-myung speaks at a press conference at the National Assembly in Seoul on Aug. 31, 2023, held to mark his first year since being elected as the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) leader. (Yonhap)

(LEAD) DP leader-hunger strike

(LEAD) Opposition leader launches indefinite hunger sit-in against Yoon administration

(ATTN: CHANGES headline; ADDS photo; RECASTS throughout with more details)

By Kang Jae-eun

SEOUL, Aug. 31 (Yonhap) -- Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung launched an indefinite hunger sit-in Thursday, kicking off what he called "national resistance against the incompetent and violent" government of President Yoon Suk Yeol.

Wearing a white shirt without a tie, Lee sat cross-legged under a large tent set up in front of the main National Assembly building and began his fast, with about a dozen other DP leaders sitting around him and a banner that read, "We will rebuild the crumbling democracy."

"The Yoon Suk Yeol administration has destroyed the constitutional order and democracy and declared a war on the people," Lee said during a press conference earlier in the day. "I will launch a national resistance against the incompetent and violent government."

Lee said the government has abandoned its responsibility to protect the people by dismissing people's safety concerns over Japan's release of radioactive water into the ocean and causing social division by portraying revered independence fighter Hong Beom-do as a communist.

He also renewed allegations that the route of a planned expressway was changed to help the first lady's family profit from it before the government scrapped the project altogether after the allegations surfaced. Yoon's office has rejected the validity of the allegations.

Lee also accused Yoon of trying to oppress the press by appointing a controversial figure as the head of the new state broadcasting watchdog. The DP has accused Lee Dong-kwan, the newly appointed chief of the Korea Communications Commission, of exercising undue influence over media companies during his time as the presidential secretary of press affairs.

The DP leader put forward three demands: that Yoon apologize to the people for destroying their livelihoods and democracy, express opposition to Japan's release of radioactive water into the ocean and thoroughly shake up the Cabinet.

The sit-in came as Lee has been under a series of corruption investigations.

Lee has undergone four rounds of questioning by prosecutors and was summoned last week to appear for questioning for the fifth time.

When asked about the allegations against him, Lee claimed his innocence and likened the recent summons request from the prosecution to "stalking."

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