Heo Eun-ah "Daejangdong Gate, Lee facing serious allegations including gang involvement, the public is serious but he just keeps 'chuckling'"
Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, is being interviewed by Yonhap News at a hotel in Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do on the 29th. [Photo by Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Seohyun] The People Power Party has criticized Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, over his series of 'laughing outbursts,' saying he "reminds us of the Joker." This comes after Lee made remarks such as "When I'm feeling down, I watch the People Power Party presidential candidate TV debates and laugh," showing a mocking attitude toward the People Power Party.
On the 31st, Hur Eun-ah, chief spokesperson of the People Power Party, directly addressed Lee's remarks in a statement, saying, "I am not the only one who sees the Joker's smiling expression overlapping with Lee candidate's face."
She continued, "There is a famous line spoken by the villain Joker in Batman: The Dark Knight when committing crimes: 'Why so serious?'" She pointed out, "Among many villain characters, the Joker is famous because of his unique sneer." She added, "When people shudder at heinous crimes, the Joker's chilling laughter, saying 'It's all just a joke,' intensifies the eerie feeling," criticizing Lee's attitude.
In an interview with Yonhap News Agency published that day, Lee said, "It's a bit awkward to say this, but the opposition party's presidential candidate TV debates are so funny that I watch them when I'm feeling down. They're very entertaining." When asked which among People Power Party preliminary candidates Yoon Seok-yeol and Hong Joon-pyo is an easier opponent, he replied, "I don't know," and criticized, "Both candidates seem like amateurs. Their basic competence is questionable."
Earlier, during the Gyeonggi Province audit held from the 18th to the 20th, Lee also sparked controversy over his attitude while responding to opposition lawmakers' questions. On the 18th, during the audit, when People Power Party lawmaker Kim Yong-pan raised suspicions of gang involvement, Lee repeatedly made laughing sounds such as "Hehehe" and "Kukukuku." On the 20th, during the audit, when People Power Party lawmaker Song Seok-jun brought out a dog doll wearing a mask with a sheep's face to liken Lee's Daejang-dong scandal explanation to "Yangduguyuk" (羊頭狗肉, meaning "a case where the appearance and reality differ"), Lee laughed out loud, asking those around him, "What is that?"
Regarding this, Chief Spokesperson Hur pointed out, "As governor of Gyeonggi Province, Lee left a memorable scene of mocking the opposition lawmakers 12 times during the audit." She added, "The public is naturally serious about the ruling party's presidential candidate, who is under serious suspicions such as the Daejang-dong gate and gang involvement allegations, but Lee just giggles, asking 'Why so serious?'" she criticized.
She further said, "Watching the ruling party's presidential candidate mock competing parties, divide the people, and laugh off clear evidence and testimonies as 'jokes,' the public feels like they are watching a movie right now," and added, "If the candidate feels depressed by the emerging truths, I hope he watches (People Power Party TV debates) and laughs to his heart's content."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
