Na Kyung-won, former member of the Future United Party (currently the People Power Party), who ran in the Seoul mayoral by-election
[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Eun-young] Na Kyung-won, former member of the Future United Party (now People Power Party) who recently declared her candidacy for Seoul mayor, expressed her frustration over the unfair controversy surrounding her appearance on the variety show 'Taste of Wife,' stating, "Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung appeared on variety shows 11 times before."
On the 15th, Na appeared on YTN Radio's 'Lee Dong-hyung's News Face-off' and said, "When someone appeared 11 times, people stayed quiet, but now that I have some influence, they criticize me a lot for appearing just once."
She continued, "Governor Lee Jae-myung appeared 11 times. Some even say that's how he became governor of Gyeonggi Province," adding, "When I was the floor leader of the Future United Party, I was so busy that I could only communicate with the public through a few words trapped in a television box. Whenever I said something, it was just 15 to 20 seconds of 'That is wrong' kind of communication."
She then said, "So I wanted to communicate in other ways, comfortably, and show various sides of my true self. I had that thought," confessing, "There were occasional offers before, but since my husband was in office, my family was reluctant to cooperate in that way."
Furthermore, she said, "(But) this time, my daughter wanted to appear on the show, and I also wanted to show my true self. There is no other reason," adding, "The judgment will be made by the citizens and the public."
Former Future United Party lawmaker Na Kyung-won appeared on a variety show and is having a conversation with her daughter. Photo by YouTube channel 'TV CHOSUN JOY' video capture
Earlier on the 5th, Na appeared on TV Chosun's variety program 'Taste of Wife,' candidly revealing her and her family's daily life. The following week, Park Young-sun, Minister of SMEs and Startups, also appeared on the same program.
Their appearances sparked criticism in political circles. Woo Sang-ho, a member of the Democratic Party who had already declared his candidacy for Seoul mayor, criticized, "Inviting specific Seoul mayor candidates, both ruling and opposition, and using it as a kind of election promotion damages the public nature of broadcasting."
Kim Jin-ae, a member of the Open Democratic Party, sarcastically said, "Is it because they lack confidence, need to clean up their image, want to enjoy special privileges, or are they trying to make the Seoul mayor election about 'Taste of Wife'?"
On the 14th, Cho Eun-hee, Seocho District Mayor from the same party, also criticized, "The candidacy is already a foregone conclusion, and they said they wanted to show family values, but why do family values only reflect the values of privileged people about to run for office?"
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