Key Points

Yoon, who was ousted over his failed martial law bid and is standing criminal trial on insurrection charges, has claimed that allegations of election fraud were one of the reasons why he declared the martial law decree.

Yoon, who left the conservative People Power Party (PPP) last week, made his first public appearance since his ouster on April 4, excluding his appearances at the insurrection trial, with the presidential election less than two weeks away.

"Did he not win his own election through that system?" Lee told reporters during a campaign rally in Incheon, questioning the logic behind claiming election fraud.

"If he claims the system was flawed, what does that say about his own victory?" Lee added.

Lee, the campaign's front-runner, lost to Yoon by a razor-thin margin in the 2022 presidential election.

When asked about the PPP's recent move to distance itself from Yoon, Lee replied, "On February 16, I said the PPP would disown Yoon within 100 days, and it has happened."

"But this is all a show for the public. In reality, Yoon and the PPP are still closely tied," he said.

Lee predicted the PPP will issue a dramatic apology soon but stressed that the public is not naive enough to be swayed by it, Yonhap news agency reported.

Meanwhile, Yoon wore a navy suit without a tie. He was welcomed by dozens of young supporters who lined up in front of the screen at Megabox Dongdaemun, where the film 'Election Fraud: A Work of God?', directed by Lee Young-don, was being shown.

Many supporters were dressed in university-logo jumpers, while some held signs reading 'Yoon Again' and 'Make Korea Great Again'.

- IANS