Na Kyung-won "Shameless just by running as a Democratic Party candidate"
Jo Eun-hee "Kim Dong-yeon as a substitute candidate"
Oh Shin-hwan "Relocating the National Assembly, a vulgar idea"
[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] Preliminary candidates for Seoul mayor from the Liberty Korea Party have collectively launched an offensive against former Minister of SMEs and Startups Park Young-sun's bid for Seoul mayor. The attacks ranged from criticisms that she should not have run to pointing out flaws in her campaign promises.
On the 26th, Na Kyung-won, the People Power Party's preliminary candidate for Seoul mayor, expressed regret on Facebook that Park did not mention former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon in her announcement to run. Na said, "I thought the 'politician Park Young-sun' I remember would be somewhat different," adding, "Former Minister Park avoided the truth. She coldly ignored the victim's pain and the citizens' anger and disappointment."
Former Minister of SMEs and Startups Park Young-sun declared her candidacy for the April 7 Seoul mayoral by-election on the 26th at the Korea Federation of SMEs in Yeouido, Seoul. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@
He said, "Above all, the previous mayor who caused this by-election was from the same Democratic Party," and added, "It is shameless just to run as the Democratic Party's candidate. Yet if you insist on running, how can you pretend not to know 'that incident'?"
Na also said, "Following the court, the Human Rights Commission also clearly acknowledged the facts of sexual harassment and sexual assault by the former mayor," and "The victim is still crying out."
He stated, "What is the political camp that the shackles of being a Democratic Party candidate broke the former minister's courage?" and "A candidate who, out of fear of backlash from extreme supporters, deliberately forgets the brutal violence inflicted on one woman can never, absolutely never embrace the lives and human rights of citizens."
Jo Eun-hee, the People Power Party's preliminary candidate for Seoul mayor (current Seocho District Mayor), said Park should have "courageously argued that President Moon Jae-in and the Democratic Party should not field a candidate for Seoul mayor this time," and added, "Park Young-sun's candidacy is shameful."
She told reporters via message, "Park herself revealed that she met more than three times to persuade former Deputy Prime Minister Kim Dong-yeon to run for Seoul mayor," and criticized, "(Park's candidacy) indicates that she failed to put the deputy prime minister forward as a substitute."
Oh Shin-hwan, the People Power Party's preliminary candidate for Seoul mayor, criticized Park's policy vision.
Oh criticized Park's pledge to relocate the National Assembly to Sejong and transform the National Assembly space into a concert hall, youth startup housing, and a startup hub, calling it a "dangerous and vulgar idea."
Oh said, "Under our country's presidential system with a strong president, leaving the president and the Blue House in Seoul while moving only the National Assembly to Sejong is a vulgar idea that endangers democracy and the principle of separation of powers," and expressed concern, "If the president and the Blue House remain in Seoul while only the National Assembly moves to Sejong, the regime's dictatorship will be further strengthened and the National Assembly's oversight function will be further weakened."
He emphasized, "As long as the president and the Blue House remain in Seoul, the National Assembly must also be in Seoul," adding, "South Korea is not medieval Japan where the shogun ruled from the Tokugawa shogunate in Tokyo and a puppet court guarded Kyoto."
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