Opposition: "President's Busan Visit Is Election Interference, Grounds for Impeachment"
Ruling Party: "People Power Party, Are You That Insecure?"
President Moon Jae-in attended the 'Southeast Mega City Construction Strategy Report' held in Busan on the 25th and received a report on the 'Southeast Mega City Vision,' including plans for an economic community, aboard the Busan New Port Hanara ship. Photo by Yonhap News
[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] The People Power Party launched a full-scale offensive, calling President Moon Jae-in's attendance at the 'Southeast Mega City Construction Strategy Report' event held in Busan on the 25th a "blatant election interference." In response, the Democratic Party of Korea countered by calling it a "narrow-minded view."
On that day, President Moon visited Busan to attend the 'Southeast Mega City' construction strategy briefing. Afterwards, he visited the planned site of the Gadukdo New Airport, which is being discussed as the location for the new airport, to check on the progress of the construction.
President Moon's visit to Busan was attended not only by party leaders such as Lee Nak-yeon, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, and Kim Tae-nyeon, floor leader of the same party, but also by Kim Kyung-soo, governor of Gyeongnam Province, Song Cheol-ho, mayor of Ulsan, Hong Nam-ki, Deputy Prime Minister for Economy, Jeon Hae-cheol, Minister of the Interior and Safety, and Byun Chang-heum, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.
Joo Ho-young, floor leader of the People Power Party, said at the party's emergency committee meeting, "The president's blatant election interference that undermines election order constitutes grounds for impeachment," adding, "After the Busan visit schedule ends, we will begin reviewing charges of election law violations."
Floor leader Joo said, "The Democratic Party once strongly opposed, calling it clear illegal election interference just because former President Lee Myung-bak visited a New Town project site," and pointed out, "The Blue House claims it is unrelated to the election, but anyone can see it is the president's excessive election interference." He continued, "Song Cheol-ho, mayor of Ulsan, who is on trial as a party to the Blue House's interference in the Ulsan mayoral election, and Kim Kyung-soo, governor of Gyeongnam Province, who was sentenced to prison for the Druking presidential election opinion manipulation, also attended the schedule," criticizing, "It is a very disgraceful schedule to be with defendants."
Joo Ho-young, floor leader of the People Power Party, is speaking at the party's policy meeting held at the National Assembly on the 19th. / Photo by Yonhap News
Kim Eun-hye, spokesperson for the same party, also issued a statement that day, saying, "No matter what excuses are made, the president's visit to Busan about 40 days before the election is nothing less than a declaration of war to intervene in the election by blatantly violating the duty of neutrality."
She added sarcastically, "If the president had gone to Busan to express an apology to the people as president for the sexual crimes of former mayor Oh Keo-don of the same party, or to apologize for the Democratic Party fielding a candidate by even revising the party constitution and regulations he made, then at least that would have been decent."
Spokesperson Kim raised her voice, saying, "I want to hold up a mirror to the Democratic Party, which used to be the opposition party and was always eager to criticize whenever there was an opportunity," and "What does the Blue House think of the citizens of Busan? Do not dare to look down on the people."
Emergency committee member Kim Hyun-ah also criticized on Facebook that day, "Why did the president suddenly visit Busan accompanied by the Deputy Prime Minister for Economy, the steward of the treasury?" and "As lame-duck phenomena are being observed everywhere at the end of the administration, the president's support for the by-elections is pitiful."
President Moon Jae-in attended the 'Southeast Mega City Construction Strategy Report' held in Busan on the 25th and conducted an onboard inspection of the planned site for Gadeokdo Airport. / Photo by Yonhap News
As the opposition's offensive continued, the Democratic Party dismissed it, saying, "It was planned long ago and has nothing to do with this election."
Spokesperson Shin Young-dae issued a statement saying, "The People Power Party is desperate to undermine and attack the purpose in any way," and asked, "Is the People Power Party so insecure that everything is election interference?"
He also criticized the People Power Party for disclosing President Moon's Busan schedule, saying, "The president's schedule is a state secret matter," and "It is an unreasonable act that breaks even the basic principle of embargo (restriction on reporting time) on the president's schedule by viewing it only through the frame of election interference."
He added, "Apologize immediately for disclosing the president's schedule, the impeachment slander, and dismissing policies for Busan's development as election pledges," and "Stop the wasteful political offensive against policies for Busan's development such as the Gadukdo New Airport and the Southeast Mega City promotion."
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