People Power Party Floor Leader Chung Jin-suk speaks at a general assembly of lawmakers at the National Assembly on the 18th. [Yonhap News]

The People Power Party fiercely attacked the ruling party on the 20th, stating that the "salmon drinking party" allegations and perjury charges against former Gyeonggi Province Vice Governor Lee Hwa-young have been exposed as a "national fraud orchestrated by false propaganda and fabricated indictments" after he received a four-month prison sentence in the first trial of his jury trial.

Floor Leader Chung Jin-suk said on Facebook regarding the trial of former Vice Governor Lee, "The key basis for the Democratic Party's claim for the dismissal of charges in President Lee Jae-myung's North Korean remittance trial has collapsed," and added, "President Lee must now abandon his obsession with dismissing the charges."

He further criticized, "The history of the Democratic Party's false propaganda, which has continued through the Kim Dae-up case (allegations of draft evasion by the son of former Grand National Party presidential candidate Lee Hoi-chang), mad cow disease propaganda, Cheonan sinking rumors, THAAD rumors, and Fukushima contaminated water rumors, must now be joined by the 'salmon drinking party propaganda'."

Five-term veteran lawmaker Na Kyung-won wrote on Facebook, "The Democratic Party mobilized all its party power for this fabricated salmon drinking party, shaking the entire nation for over two years and turning the Legislation and Judiciary Committee and the National Assembly into chaos," adding, "President Lee must now wake up from the futile dream of dismissing the charges."

Secretary-General Jeong Hee-yong also posted on Facebook, "The 'salmon drinking party in the prosecutor's office' allegations that have shaken South Korea's judicial system for the past two years have finally been revealed as a 'national fraud'," urging, "The Democratic Party must stop its lawless behavior of trampling on the judiciary and undermining the rule of law, and immediately apologize to the public for deceiving them by capitalizing on this national fraud."

Senior Deputy Floor Leader for Policy Kim Mi-ae also wrote on social media, "This case will be recorded as a prime example of how baseless political propaganda can lead to significant social costs," and added, "President Lee (then leader of the Democratic Party), who asserted at the time that the claims were '100% true' and defended them, must also explain himself to the public and take political responsibility."

Spokesperson Park Sung-hoon stated in a National Assembly briefing, "Former Vice Governor Lee's absurd lies were the Democratic Party's key script to portray the entire Ssangbangul North Korean remittance case as a 'fabricated investigation by the prosecution.' The reality of the 'salmon drinking party within the prosecution office,' which deceived the public and ridiculed the judiciary, has finally been revealed," assessing that "President Lee must undergo the suspended trial."

Rep. Joo Jin-woo, chairman of the party's "Special Committee to Prevent the Dismissal of President Lee Jae-myung's Trial," wrote on Facebook, "Even the slightest basis for dismissing Lee's charges has collapsed," ordering, "The Ministry of Justice and the prosecution must immediately withdraw the attempt to discipline Prosecutor Park Sang-yong. President Lee must stop attempting to dismiss the charges and apologize."

Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon also posted on Facebook, "The 'ritual of innocence' that the entire Lee Jae-myung Democratic Party regime engaged in has ended," emphasizing, "Those who performed this ritual of innocence must be held accountable."

Rep. Han warned, "I clearly warn President Lee. The court has stated that there was no such thing as a 'salmon drinking party.' If he still insists on using power to avoid his trial, the only outcome for those who are enemies of democracy is impeachment and ruin."