[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Nahum] With the 21st general election just two days away, the conflict between the Democratic Party of Korea, the Together Citizens' Party, and the Open Democratic Party, all competing for proportional representation votes within the ruling coalition, is intensifying.
On the 12th, former lawmaker Jeong Bong-ju, leader of the Open Democratic Party, criticized the Democratic Party leadership on his YouTube channel 'BJ TV,' saying, "They treated me like garbage." This appears to express dissatisfaction with the Democratic Party effectively labeling the Open Democratic Party as a 'splinter faction' and drawing a line. Due to controversy over the use of profanity, the video was set to private as of the 13th.
Jeong said, "What you did during this election period was worse than animals. Lee, Yoon, Yang," presumably referring to Democratic Party leader Lee Hae-chan, Secretary-General Yoon Ho-jung, and Democratic Research Institute head Yang Jeong-cheol.
He added, "Do you see Jeong Bong-ju as endlessly subordinate now? Since when have you been the boss to act so bossily?" He continued, "You still don't know who I am. I am Jeong Bong-ju. Do you think I will always be subordinate? Cut it out."
He further stated, "Have the candidates here (in the Open Democratic Party) lived worse lives than you? Do you just blurt out whatever comes to your mouth?" and "You have crossed the line. You won't last long in politics. I will survive here tenaciously, so let's see when the roles of boss and subordinate change."
Son Hye-won, a Supreme Council member of the same party, also wrote on her Facebook, "Now even Chairman Yoo Si-min? You've grown a lot. Yang Jeong-cheol," publicly criticizing Yang's cautious stance on Yoo Si-min, chairman of the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation and the Roh Moo-hyun Memorial Foundation, regarding his remarks about the ruling coalition securing 180 seats.
The Together Citizens' Party also showed discomfort at the Open Democratic Party leadership's offensive. Choi Seong-hoon, chief deputy spokesperson of the Together Citizens' Party, said in a statement, "Former lawmaker Jeong's remarks, overly emotional, went beyond excess," adding, "Even if the party's support rate, which had risen due to some celebrities' strong statements, has plateaued and poor results are expected in the early voting that saw record turnout, Jeong's remarks are excessive."
Choi also said, "Both Representative Son and former lawmaker Jeong's recent remarks are too extreme," and "Now is not the time to be emotional but a time for self-restraint."
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