정국 격랑속으로…여, 김경수 짜맞추기 판결 vs. 야, 즉각 사퇴

Contrasting reaction from the domestic political arena to Governor Kim's sentence.
The Democratic Party defended the former liberal lawmaker.
The opposition bloc could use the ruling to step up its political offense, especially with parliamentary elections taking place next year.
Kim Min-ji explains further.
The ruling against Gyeongsangnam-do Province Governor Kim Kyoung-soo is expected to have serious implications for the ruling Democratic Party.
Kim -- who is a close aide of President Moon Jae-in -- was considered a strong potential candidate for the presidency.
The ruling party said it regrets the decision by the lower court, adding that Kim will be proven innocent through the appeals process.
The party claimed that the ruling was politically motivated and that it damages confidence in a judiciary seen to be making pre-determined decisions.
However, the ruling was welcomed at the other end of the spectrum.
The main opposition Liberty Korea Party called Kim's conviction a matter of course,... calling on him to resign from his post immediately.
The conservatives claimed that the opinion-rigging had a big influence in the 2017 presidential election and called into question the legitimacy of its outcome.
The party said the president should say whether he was aware of what was happening.
The minor opposition Bareun Mirae Party said that any act that infringes on democracy is not acceptable and something like this should not happen again in Korean politics.
Liberal minor parties were more or less on the same page,... calling opinion-rigging a crime against democracy.
Pundits say Wednesday's ruling could spell trouble for the ruling party -- which is already grappling with scandals involving some of its lawmakers.
The opposition bloc is expected to step up its rhetoric,... especially with the general elections just over a year away.
On top of that, the ruling could deal a blow to the Moon administration, which has been continuously pushing to root out corruption,... having taken the helm from the Park Geun-hye government, which was brought down for abusing its power.
The presidential office released a short statement saying that the court's decision was unexpected and that they will wait patiently as the ruling is appealed.
Kim Min-ji, Arirang News.