"'The Moon Goes to the Training Camp' Kim So-yeon, Jin Joong-kwon: 'That friend will keep causing trouble'"

Kim So-yeon "Apologize First for Memories of Mad Cow Disease" Rebuttal

Kim So-yeon, head of the Daejeon Yuseong district committee of the People Power Party, and Kim Jong-in, emergency response committee chairman. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Seulgi Kim] Amid the collapse of disciplinary action against Kim So-yeon, the People Power Party’s Daejeon Yuseong district committee chairperson who sparked controversy with a banner bearing the phrase "The Moon should go to the military prison," former Dongyang University professor Jin Joong-kwon said on the 12th, "This person will continue to cause trouble."

On the same day, Jin posted on his Facebook, saying, "'The Moon should go to the military prison' is problematic, but the bigger issue is that this person is a believer in the vote-rigging conspiracy theory."

He added, "If they cannot break free from that, the People Power Party has no hope. People without a sense of reality should not be involved in politics," and argued, "How can you entrust someone who has completely lost touch with reality with the position of a district committee chairperson? This is not something that can be resolved through persuasion alone."

He continued, "People who believe in conspiracy theories have a fundamentally different way of thinking compared to ordinary people. No fact can break their beliefs. It’s a kind of religious mindset," and added, "They are already ineffective in reform efforts, and if they cannot even handle this one issue, they are doomed. Since there is no will to change, no matter how much the ruling party messes up, the public’s trust will not go to them."

In response, Kim, the district committee chairperson, rebutted on the same day, saying, "Who is calling whom a conspiracy theorist? Start by apologizing for the memories of mad cow disease," and added, "Did we light candles and perform shamanistic rituals, or sing and dance? I appreciate the attention towards me, but if it goes too far, it could be seen as 'cyberstalking,' a term used by feminists over there. Please exercise restraint."

Earlier, on the 27th of last month, Kim sparked controversy by hanging a banner with the phrase "The Moon should go to the military prison." He posted on his Facebook, "This banner is displayed throughout the entire constituency. Wishing all crayfish, crucian carp, and frogs a happy holiday," along with a photo of the holiday banner.

Some pointed out that the phrase was intended as an insult to President Moon Jae-in. "Moon" is known as a nickname given to President Moon by his supporters, and "military prison" (영창, Yeongchang) is a homophone of the military detention facility, which could be interpreted as a pun.

As controversy arose, Kim announced on his Facebook on the 9th that he intended to resign from his position as district committee chairperson, but on the 12th, he withdrew his resignation following the intervention of emergency committee chairman Kim Jong-in.