Jin Joong-kwon: "Lee Jae-myung, a coward who watches power... can't say a word against 'Mom Chance'"

Lee Jae-myung: "'Money is also ability,' reminds me of Jeong Yura... A hereditary capitalist society"

Former Dongyang University professor Jin Joong-kwon is giving a lecture on the topic "Talking about Korean Society: The Future of Ideology, Generation, and Culture" at a seminar hosted by the Economic and Social Research Institute held on the afternoon of July 2nd at Choi In-a Bookstore in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ga-yeon] Former Dongyang University professor Jin Joong-kwon strongly criticized Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung, who condemned the 'hereditary capitalism society,' saying, "He cannot say a word about the corruption committed by the living power. In reality, he is a coward."

On the 14th, Jin posted on his Facebook, "He cannot utter a word about the 'Daddy's chance' of Cho Mo, the daughter of former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk, and the 'Mom's chance' of Seo Mo, the son of Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae," expressing his criticism.

He shared an article titled "Lee Jae-myung defending Choo Mi-ae: 'Jeong Yura's 'Blame your parents'... Society is ongoing,'" and criticized, "What kind of conscience does he have to talk about justice, fairness, and equality while cautiously watching the power and even covering up such acts?"

He continued, "It is a populist tactic to pick on an easy-to-attack minority at each moment, target them for attack, and pour out 'ijime' (bullying) enthusiastically with the angry public on those already condemned minorities," and pointed out, "He just waits for opportunities here and there, and when he catches an easy target, he puts on all sorts of shows as if he alone is establishing justice in Korea."

He added, "Such low-level agitation is not 'justice.' It is opportunistic behavior that privately manages his approval ratings under the guise of public values like fairness," and said, "I understand the situation where he has to watch the pro-Moon faction to become a candidate, but he should do it moderately. Even Lee Nak-yeon, the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, makes a mild remark, but (Governor Lee) cannot even do that while posing as the apostle of justice."

Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung held a briefing on the morning of the 9th at the Gyeonggi Provincial Government Office in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, announcing a plan to provide consumer support funds to revitalize local businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Photo by Yonhap News

Earlier, on the 13th, Governor Lee posted on his Facebook a post titled "'Money is also ability' society is ongoing," stating, "I cannot help but recall Jeong Yura's words, 'Money is ability, blame your parents,' which made the whole nation take to the streets in 2016. Can there be a more accurate expression of the despair of 21st-century Korean society than this one phrase? In polite terms, it is a 'hereditary capitalism' society."

Governor Lee referred to an article by the 'Truth Investigation Group Sherlock,' saying, "Few people probably read the article comfortably. I also felt complex emotions while reading the article series one by one."

He continued, "It is not that such incidents have increased only recently. It is true that Korean society has become fairly fair through the 1987 democratization and two democratic governments, but unlike then, in an era of accelerating polarization and jobless growth, a single unfairness creates a huge gap and emotional deprivation due to the imbalance of opportunities it causes."

He added, "I think the root of the anger shown by young people in the controversy over regular workers at Incheon Airport was the gap between regular and irregular workers, which is close to a caste system," and emphasized, "I believe the people's demands are not very difficult. They want a society where at least minimal fairness is maintained, and a society that guarantees rewards proportional to effort, even if they do not enjoy great wealth and glory."

Governor Lee said, "If corruption is found, there must be clear measures accordingly. That is the basic," and criticized, "There is no hope for Korean society if controversies are temporarily bowed to and then quietly passed over as time goes by."