Park Yong-jin, Jo Eung-cheon, Geum Tae-seop Face 'Munppa' Head-On?... Daily 'Sincere Statements'

Park Yong-jin "Flooded with Text Bombs and Protest Calls"
"Not a Captive of Supporters but a Leader of the National Community" Mentioned
Jo Eung-cheon Targets Chu Mi-ae "Seems to Have Self-Confidence and Confirmation Bias"
Geum Tae-seop Criticizes Cho Kuk in Column "Let's Properly Implement Prosecution Reform"
Lee Nak-yeon "Hardline Supporters May Also Have Positive Functions" Positive Evaluation

Park Yong-jin, Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker [Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] As the so-called 'Moonppa,' a derogatory term for those who blindly support President Moon Jae-in, continue to make harsh remarks and collective protests against certain politicians mainly online, Park Yong-jin, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, emphasized on the 23rd, "Even if it is obvious that we will suffer losses, even if we are criticized and ignored, we must honestly say what needs to be said and do what needs to be done." This is interpreted as his determination not to hold back his words or be cautious out of consideration for the supporters of President Moon in the future.

Earlier, former party members Cho Eung-cheon and Geum Tae-seop, who were also collectively criticized by Moonppa, voiced their candid opinions one after another, leading some to view that Park Yong-jin, Cho Eung-cheon, and Geum Tae-seop may continue to speak their minds without being influenced by Moonppa.

Coincidentally, on the same day Park expressed his political conviction, Lee Nak-yeon, the leader of the Democratic Party, referred to Moonppa as "the energy source of the party," which has led to opinions that Park, Cho, and Geum are, in effect, differentiating themselves from the mainstream within the party.

In particular, former lawmaker Geum Tae-seop hinted on the 24th that the prosecution reform has been stagnant due to former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk, predicting a backlash including harsh criticism from Moonppa.

◆ Park Yong-jin: "Flood of Protest Calls to My Office," "Courage is a Virtue to Become Supporters of the Community, Not Prisoners of the Support Base"

Park Yong-jin, a Democratic Party lawmaker, stated in a text message sent to reporters on the 23rd, "Recently, I have been bombarded with text messages, and my office has been flooded with protest calls. I recalled a book I had read before and looked it up again. My thoughts on the attitude of politicians remain the same now as before: politicians must be honest."

Previously, Park faced collective backlash after apologizing regarding allegations of preferential military leave for the son of Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae.

In a post on his Facebook, Park introduced a book titled 'Presidential Leadership,' saying, "The book discusses how each leader, despite different situations and conditions, had to bear the responsibility of making lonely and disadvantageous decisions."

He added, "I came across this book while researching President Theodore Roosevelt's political path of trust-busting and anti-monopoly activities. It contains many values that our political leaders should embody. Above all, it shows that the virtue required to become a 'leader of the national community, not a prisoner of one's own support base' is 'courage.'"

Park said, "Despite immediate criticism, resistance, and even the defection of supporters, the core virtue of politicians and national leaders is to challenge and make decisions for the benefit of the entire community and future-oriented values." He continued, "Even President Washington approved the Jay Treaty, a humiliating agreement with Britain, while enduring calls for his execution."

He further stated, "In my political career, I have received excessive encouragement and unfair criticism. However, if I avoid criticism out of fear, greater regret and criticism will follow later. I believe that if I proceed honestly and responsibly, even those who criticize and dislike me will understand my sincerity."

Nevertheless, harsh critical comments continue to be posted on the message. One netizen pointed out, "It's not just immediate criticism. Park Yong-jin lacks insight and judgment." They added, "Is it righteous to act meekly like a dented pot toward the great evil Yoon Seok-youl (Prosecutor General)? For someone who talks about a few days of leave, you seem opportunistic and petty."

Meanwhile, many of the criticisms directed at Park included calls for him to join the People Power Party. Netizens harshly criticized his candid remarks, saying, "Please go to the People's Party and stop being a 'spy'!" and "Hypocrisy?"

Earlier, on the 16th, in a CBS radio interview regarding allegations of preferential treatment for the military service of Minister Choo's son, Park said, "Education and military service are matters of national interest and a sensitive issue for the people," and added, "The party keeps focusing only on whether it is 'illegal or not,' but as a fellow lawmaker and someone who has served in the military, I feel sorry to the public for the suspicion itself," which led to collective criticism from Moonppa.

Cho Eung-cheon, Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker [Photo by Yonhap News]

◆ Cho Eung-cheon: "Is It Right for the Ruling Party to Speak with Only One Voice?"

The collective protests by Moonppa were directed not only at Park but also at fellow party members Cho Eung-cheon and former lawmaker Geum Tae-seop. Earlier, in an interview with Shindonga on the 14th, Cho said, "The issue started with whether the leave was properly processed or not, but now allegations have emerged about requests for reassignment to a translator post." He added, "Since various testimonies and evidence are coming out, the right answer is to reveal everything as it is and quickly reach a conclusion." This is interpreted as a call to clarify the facts through a thorough prosecution investigation to end the allegations against Minister Choo's son.

In another media interview, Cho criticized Minister Choo, saying, "Recently, I saw her answering questions in the National Assembly, and not only the content but also her attitude was very uncomfortable," adding, "She seems to have a kind of self-assurance and confirmation bias," which led to harsh criticism from Moonppa.

Despite the continuous criticism, Cho appeared on TV Chosun's 'Gangjeokdeul' on the 19th and reiterated his conviction regarding the allegations of Minister Choo's son's failure to return from military leave, saying, "I question whether it is right for the ruling party to speak with only one unified voice. I am speaking out of a sense of duty for all the people who have trusted and supported us."

Former Democratic Party lawmaker Geum Tae-seop Photo by Yonhap News

◆ Geum Tae-seop on Prosecution Reform: "There Were Many Crude Cases"

While Park Yong-jin and Cho Eung-cheon repeatedly expressed their convictions regarding allegations related to Minister Choo's son, former Democratic Party lawmaker Geum Tae-seop posted on his Facebook on the 24th, saying, "'Prosecution reform' is being abused as an excuse to avoid difficult situations," and added, "I wrote an article in the Kyunghyang Shinmun emphasizing that prosecution reform is an important task and should not be used as a pretext or excuse to suppress critical voices."

In his article titled 'Let's Do Prosecution Reform Properly,' he pointed out, "Even former Minister Cho Kuk, during his time as Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs when the purge of deep-rooted evils was in full swing, announced that the prosecution's direct investigations would be recognized only for special investigations that the prosecution was doing well, but when he himself became the subject of investigation, he tried to abolish the special investigation division, which was criticized as inconsistent. Special prosecutors held key positions in the Ministry of Justice and prosecution more than ever during the early days of this government."

Geum cited the incompetence of those in charge as another reason for the sluggish prosecution reform. He said, "At the start of the government, both the Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs at the Blue House and the Minister of Justice, who were in charge of prosecution reform, were professors (Cho Kuk as Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs, Park Sang-ki as Minister of Justice)." He added, "Since they had little practical experience or personnel expertise in prosecution, many of the specific reform measures were crude."

He criticized, "Prosecution personnel appointments were almost controlled by the prosecutors who were the targets of reform," and "People who were no match in expertise took the lead in reform, so it could not have gone well." He also questioned, "I still wonder why a professor was appointed as Minister of Justice after appointing a professor as Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs."

As Geum's column criticizing prosecution reform during former Minister Cho's tenure became known, critical comments have been continuously posted on his Facebook.

Previously, Geum had criticized Democratic Party lawmaker Hwang Hee, who referred to the party staff soldier who first raised the preferential military service allegations as a 'lone offender,' saying, "Are you in your right mind?" which drew protests from Moonppa.

On the 12th, regarding that controversy, Geum said, "Regardless of party affiliation, ruling or opposition, progressive or conservative, a lawmaker is a representative of the people. For any reason, one should not criticize the people they represent. That is tantamount to denying the very existence of a lawmaker," pointing out Hwang.

Lee Nak-yeon, Democratic Party Leader Photo by Yonhap News

◆ Lee Nak-yeon: "Hardcore Supporters May Be Very Reasonable People"

Meanwhile, coincidentally, Lee Nak-yeon, leader of the Democratic Party, gave a positive evaluation of the 'pro-Moon' (Chin-Moon) faction. At a Korea Broadcasting Journalists Club debate on the 23rd, Lee said, "Every party has hardcore supporters and moderate supporters. Hardcore supporters may have positive functions."

He added, "(Hardcore supporters) can be both an energy source and a pressure factor for any party," and said, "Contrary to concerns, the results of the last party convention were surprising. The support rates of the party members, where many hardcore supporters are concentrated, and the general public were similar." He defended, "Hardcore supporters may not be special people but very reasonable individuals."

Regarding the allegations against Minister Choo's son, he said, "It has been revealed that some of the reports in the media are quite different from the facts," and added, "I believe the prosecution is conducting a thorough investigation, and if possible, I hope we can receive the results quickly."

He continued, "If the prosecution is conducting raids on the residence or office of the person involved, it shows a strong will to investigate, and I think it would be good if the results can clear up the public suspicions and concerns."