[Q&A] Ha Tae-kyung: "Min Kyung-wook Incident, a Second 'Ji Man-won Incident'... The Party Must Draw the Line"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Ha Tae-kyung, a member of the Future United Party, criticized the party for not drawing a clear line regarding the 'election manipulation theory' and 'Chinese hacker general election interference theory' raised by former United Party lawmaker Min Kyung-wook, calling it a 'second Ji Man-won incident.'

On the 31st, after a briefing held at the National Assembly Communication Office, Ha told reporters, "The party must clearly draw a line on this issue."

He pointed out, "In the past, there was a rumor that the May 18 Democratic Movement was led by a North Korean special forces unit, which caused serious damage as the Liberty Korea Party at the time sympathized with it. That’s why an official apology was made recently, but the theory of Chinese hackers interfering in the general election has an even greater impact."

Below is a Q&A with Representative Ha.

- Are you considering requesting expulsion from the party?

▲ I have mentioned this before, but to avoid blurring the issue, today I focused solely on clarifying that this is a 'rumor.'

- Do you plan to request another public debate with former Representative Min?

▲ (Laughs) I want to believe in his conscience. This case is like a second 'Ji Man-won incident.' There was a rumor that the May 18 Democratic Movement was led by North Korean special forces, which caused serious damage as the Liberty Korea Party at the time sympathized with it. That’s why an official apology was made recently, and the Chinese hacker general election interference theory has an even greater impact. The party must clearly draw a line on this.

- What is the leadership’s stance?

▲ The Kim Jong-in emergency committee was formed, and Chairman Kim himself drew a line saying it is 'not credible.' However, it has gone beyond that level. From my perspective, rumors are being spread.

- There have been criticisms regarding the election procedures.

▲ There seems to have been some mismanagement. But no matter how much I say there was no vote count manipulation, there are people who believe the rumor. Therefore, including former Representative Min, I would like to ask those who claim manipulation to conduct a vote count verification. A recount is necessary to bring closure. Without it, the rumor cannot be dismissed, and only mutual insistence on claims remains.

- Former Representative Min has made various claims ranging from statistics, physical evidence, to hacking in relation to this controversy.

▲ The public wants the United Party to be reborn. They want innovation. However, even though it has become clear that these are internal party rumors, the rumor faction is spreading within the party. Someone must draw a line on this. There are also critical voices about Yoon Mi-hyang of the Democratic Party. The difference is that Democratic Party leader Lee Hae-chan defends her to the end, but Chairman Kim denies the credibility.

- You mentioned pressure from supporters through text bombarding; is the spread within the party influenced by that?

▲ I and others are strongly blocking it. The spread is not at a worrying level. Still, it is a waste of time. We need to innovate to be reborn. But we lost, and furthermore, absurd rumors like Chinese hackers intervened were spread. I should be spending my time creating alternatives, but I am spending it on rumors.

- What do you think about far-right YouTubers?

▲ I think it will take time. YouTubers like Suhakjjam and Joshua helped former Representative Min but have started to draw a line. YouTubers and supporters also have quite rational aspects. I believe they have at least minimal rationality. The future is not entirely bleak.

- Former Representative Min is demanding the formation of a fact-finding committee.

▲ If formed, it should be the Min Kyung-wook Rumor Investigation Committee.