"We will wait with the people that the Constitutional Court will make a reasonable ruling on President Yoon Suk-yeol’s impeachment case with the ideology and values of the Constitution, the constitutional responsibilities given to the court, the responsibilities entrusted to it by the people, and a sense of historical mission,” Lee Jae-myung, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, said on April 2, two days before the sentencing date.

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, speaks during a meeting held at the party’s tent set up near Gwanghwamun in Seoul on April 2. Reporter Han Soo-bin

“Fortunately, the Constitutional Court has set a date for the sentencing,” Lee said at a meeting held at the party’s tent set up near Gwanghwamun in Seoul.

Lee later held a meeting with the Korea Federation of Micro Enterprise (KFME) in Yeouido, Seoul, where he emphasized the need to revitalize the economy through national financial support. Lee's campaign for an early presidential election, which had been stalled by the release of Yoon and the prolonged impeachment process, appears to have gained momentum after the Constitutional Court designated the sentencing date for Yoon’s impeachment case.

“Nowadays, not only is the economy bad, but the people's livelihoods and local businesses are so bad that I feel embarrassed to hold my head up,” Lee said during a meeting with officials from the KFME. ”I feel a great sense of responsibility to face a situation where the economy is deteriorating due to politics."

Lee spent a lot of time emphasizing the need to inject national finances, including supplementary budgets. “When a country faces a crisis, it costs money to overcome the crisis, and that cost should be borne by the entire national community,” he said. ”When people's livelihoods deteriorate, it is the government's role to step in and expand fiscal spending to revive the economy and people's livelihoods, and to cool down the economy when it overheats.”

Lee criticized the government and the ruling People Power Party (PPP), saying, “I wish they would change their direction even now, but they say they can't earmark a small amount of money in supplementary budget, and they are having so-called political battles even in this difficult time.” The DPK had earlier announced its own 35 trillion won supplementary budget proposal, which includes a 250,000 won spending voucher per person for the restoration of people’s livelihoods.

The KFME asked Lee to reform the minimum wage system, abolish the holiday pay system, establish an electricity plan for small businesses, and waive fees for paying taxes by card.

Lee went on to mention the need to reform an earned income tax on social media. “The basic deduction for the earned income tax has remained the same for 16 years since 2009, when it was raised from 1 million won to 1.5 million won,” he said, emphasizing that ”the lives of 20 million wage earners are public welfare, and it is the responsibility of politics to correct unfairness.” The DPK is pushing for a plan to increase the basic deduction for earned income tax from 1.5 million won to 1.8 million won. The party is also considering introducing a system that would reduce the income tax burden for families with more children.

On April 3, Lee will attend a memorial service for the victims of the April 3 Incident in Jeju, which marks the 77th anniversary this year. On the 4th, he will watch the ruling of Yoon’s impeachment trial, and if Yoon is dismissed, Lee will resign from his post and begin a full-fledged campaign for the early presidential election.