[Comprehensive] Cha Myung-jin's Controversy Over "Sewol Ferry Victims' Families' Misconduct" Remarks Sparks Backlash as "Hate Speech Frame" Rebuttal

Candidate Cha Myung-jin of the United Future Party Sparks Controversy Again with 'Sewol Ferry Remarks' in TV Debate
Kim Jong-in: "I am truly sorry for disappointing and angering the public"

4·15 General Election Gyeonggi Bucheon-si Byeong Cha Myung-jin United Future Party National Assembly Candidate [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] Cha Myung-jin, the United Future Party candidate for the National Assembly in Bucheon-si Byeong, Gyeonggi Province, has once again caused controversy by making offensive remarks toward the families of the Sewol ferry victims. The United Future Party has decided to expel Cha from the party. However, Cha continues to resist, saying, "They are framing me with offensive remarks without even understanding the facts," escalating the situation.

On the 8th, Cha posted on his Facebook, "My remarks related to the Sewol ferry are causing problems," and wrote, "Those who see me as a thorn in their side are condemning me again by framing me with offensive remarks without properly understanding the facts."

He continued, "I bow my head and apologize a hundred times for any hurt my past remarks may have caused to those who lost precious children in the Sewol ferry accident. However, those who exploit the Sewol ferry accident to accuse the innocent President Park Geun-hye and Representative Hwang Kyo-ahn as the main culprits to gain power, those who, thanks to the sympathy of the people, receive public taxes and donations but commit disgraceful acts inside the Sewol ferry tent, which they treat as a sanctuary, should apologize to the public."

He added, "Some accuse me of arbitrarily creating the term 'Sewol ferry ○○○' and damaging public sentiment, but I clearly quoted exactly what I saw in the article." He further stated, "The article was published on May 10, 2018, by an online media outlet, and it has not faced any legal sanctions nor has it been deleted to this day."

Photo by Cha Myung-jin, candidate, Facebook capture

Meanwhile, Kim Jong-in, the United Future Party's overall election committee chairman, apologized on the 9th regarding the offensive remarks controversy involving Kim Dae-ho, the party's candidate for Seoul Gwanak-gap, and Cha Myung-jin, the candidate for Gyeonggi Bucheon-si Byeong.

At an emergency press conference held at the National Assembly that day, Chairman Kim said, "I am truly sorry that two of the party's National Assembly candidates spoke carelessly and disappointed and angered the public," expressing "deep regret."

He added, "This is not a matter of whether the words were appropriate or not. It is about a public party's National Assembly candidates uttering words that should never be spoken."

Earlier, on the 8th, during a recorded broadcast of OBS's candidate invitation debate, Cha said, "Do you know about the ○○○ incident? The ○○○ incident," and added, "I am already aware of an (online media) article from May 2018 stating that Sewol ferry volunteers and families of the victims engaged in indecent acts inside the tent that cannot be described in words."

On the 6th, Kim said at a United Future Party field election committee meeting, "People in their 60s and 70s know well how Korea developed under harsh conditions, but those in their 30s and 40s seem not to know that," and added, "People in their mid-30s and 40s are not logical. They are full of ignorance and delusion."

On the 7th, he sparked further controversy by saying, "Generally, disabled people are classified into levels 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. As people age, everyone becomes disabled."

The United Future Party held an ethics committee and supreme council meeting the previous day, expelling Kim from the party and stripping him of his candidacy. Following Chairman Kim's directive, Cha was also referred to the ethics committee to begin expulsion procedures. Currently, Kim is preparing an appeal against the party's expulsion decision.