Kim Jong-in Urges Oh to 'Watch His Words'
President Moon and Candidate Oh Both Have Personal Histories Related to Dementia
On the afternoon of the 26th, Oh Se-hoon, the People Power Party candidate for Seoul mayor, climbed onto a campaign vehicle at the Yongmun Market intersection in Seoul to appeal for support. / Photo by the National Assembly Press Photographers Group
[Asia Economy Reporters Park Jun-yi and Naju-seok] With the Seoul mayoral by-election just ten days away, controversy has erupted over People Power Party candidate Oh Se-hoon's remark about "severe dementia patients." Given that the United Future Party faced backlash for a series of controversial remarks during the final stages of the April 15 general election, the People Power Party is also on high alert regarding the potential fallout. Criticism has arisen that both candidate Oh and President Moon are inappropriate due to personal dementia-related matters.
On the morning of the 26th, while campaigning in front of Jeungmi Station in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, candidate Oh criticized the Moon Jae-in administration's real estate policy, saying, "When I pointed out during my speech that 'the people are in an uproar over rising housing prices, but the president says the real estate market is stable, as if he were a severe dementia patient,' I was told it was an excessive expression," adding, "Can the opposition not even use such expressions?"
This was a defense against renewed controversy over his October 2019 speech at the Taegeukgi rally in Gwanghwamun Square, where he said, "The president says our economy is on the right track, but that’s nonsense like the ramblings of a severe dementia patient."
In response, former Dongyang University professor Jin Joong-kwon criticized candidate Oh on Facebook that day, saying, "If you want to win, shut your mouth," and "This person has no sense at all. The party even issued a warning about offensive remarks."
Moreover, the dementia mentioned by candidate Oh is not unrelated to either President Moon or candidate Oh himself.
Last year, candidate Oh was reported to the Gwangjin District Election Commission for giving holiday bonuses to apartment security guards where he lived. In explaining the reason for giving the holiday bonuses, Oh mentioned, "Last year, my mother, who showed signs of dementia, was always accompanied home by the security guards from the daycare center vehicle," expressing his gratitude. According to Oh’s explanation at the time, his mother was also suffering from the disease of dementia.
Dementia holds a significance beyond a mere illness for President Moon as well. President Moon has implemented more proactive policies related to dementia than any previous administration. This background is largely influenced by the fact that President Moon’s family also includes dementia patients. During a visit to the Gangbuk Senior Welfare Center in Seoul in 2017, First Lady Kim Jung-sook tearfully said, "My mother has dementia and does not recognize her son-in-law who became president, nor me." It is said that such personal experiences greatly influenced President Moon’s campaign pledges and subsequent efforts toward a national responsibility system for dementia.
Offensive remarks by candidates during election seasons significantly influence voters’ decisions, sometimes determining the outcome. In the April 15, 2019 general election, remarks such as candidate Kim Dae-ho’s "generation of ignorance and delusion in their 30s and 40s" and candidate Cha Myung-jin’s offensive comments about the Sewol ferry victims’ families’ tents were cited as reasons for their defeat.
Earlier, in February during the People Power Party’s preliminary candidate period, candidate Oh faced public backlash after raising suspicions on Facebook that the letter ‘v’ in the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy’s released document titled "North Korean Nuclear Power Plant Construction Document" might refer to ‘VIP,’ implying the president. He later turned the ‘v’ controversy into an election strategy to overcome the crisis.
As candidate Oh’s remarks stirred controversy, efforts to contain the situation emerged within the party. Kim Jong-in, the People Power Party’s emergency committee chairman, said, "I heard that candidate Oh made an extreme remark in excitement, but I believe such incidents will not happen again." He added, "That’s why when I first held the election countermeasures committee, I advised him to be careful with his words."
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