The People Power Party criticized President Lee Jae-myung on the 15th for his remarks that "most people have a criminal record" while pointing out the excessive use of criminal punishment, calling it an attempt to "downplay his record of four convictions" and "an insult to the public."

Park Choong-kwon, the party's senior deputy spokesperson, said in a statement, referring to President Lee's remarks at the cabinet meeting the previous day, "It is a shameless statement that drags innocent citizens into the mire of crime to justify his past record of four convictions, and an act that undermines the nation's moral standards." He added, "He insulted the public by labeling them as criminals."

"The reason the principle of legality is crumbling today is not due to the existence of punishments, but because power reigns above the law and mocks the rule of law," he said. "If you have concerns about the penal system, you should propose responsible solutions, not broadly disparage the public. Is this truly a normal attitude for a president?"

Yoo Sang-beom, the party's deputy floor leader for operations, also wrote on Facebook, "We must not reduce the national and grave judicial task of reforming the penal system into a tool for downplaying and self-justifying one's own shameful criminal record, as if it were a common flaw."

Rep. Kim Mi-ae criticized on social media, "You are going too far with a government of convicts." She then pointed out how Cheon Young-mi, an aspirant for the mayor of Ansan from the Democratic Party, in an attempt to justify her drunk driving record, mentioned President Lee's remarks about criminal records. Kim added, "She is acting with such brazen audacity and shamelessness that she is criticizing the citizen who spoke up about drunk driving convictions, saying, 'President Lee also has a record, so why didn't you vote for him?' and demanding an apology instead."

Rep. Choi Eun-seok also wrote on social media, "According to 2020 statistics, the proportion of South Korean citizens with criminal records is about 30%. To call this 'most people have a criminal record' is a leap and a distortion." He continued, "It is even harder to comprehend that you attribute the reason to 'the expansion of prosecutorial power.' At this point, it's practically an interpretation close to a conspiracy theory."

Former Minister of Employment and Labor Kim Moon-soo also claimed on Facebook, "He is making a criminal's confession without any shame." He added, "Is that why you are abolishing the prosecutor's office and suspending all five trials? I believe living in a prosecutorial state is actually better than living in a criminal state."