"What Do You Call Love?" Lee Jun-seok and Kim Eo-jun Clash Over 'Yoon's Mother-in-Law Allegations'

Broadcaster Kim Eo-jun (left) and former Supreme Council member Lee Jun-seok (right). Photo by YouTube channel 'TBS Citizen's Broadcast' screen capture.

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] Lee Jun-seok, former Supreme Council member and a presidential candidate of the People Power Party, engaged in a heated debate on the 1st with broadcaster Kim Eo-jun regarding allegations related to former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol's mother-in-law.

On that day, host Kim asked on TBS Radio's 'Kim Eo-jun's News Factory,' "You said you would present three silk pouches to former Prosecutor General Yoon in times of crisis. Can you tell us in advance what that means?"

In response, candidate Lee said, "Our party has history and tradition, so wouldn't we have crisis response capabilities?" He added, "Back in 2012, when attacks were made against then-candidate Park Geun-hye, we acknowledged what needed to be acknowledged and defended what needed to be defended. Our party has the basic capability for that."

Then Kim Eo-jun asked, "Did the silk pouches include a response like former President Roh Moo-hyun's 'Are you telling me to abandon my wife'?" During the 2002 presidential election, when the leftist background of Mrs. Kwon Yang-sook's father became controversial, former President Roh said, "Are you telling me to abandon my wife to become president?"

Candidate Lee replied, "That was a very important speech for former President Roh because his father-in-law had passed away, and he married his wife without knowing that. Is that something that can be considered a stigma? He loved his wife, not his father-in-law," adding, "Who marries someone because they love their father-in-law?"

Hearing this, Kim said, "That's true, but it's not an exact analogy," and pointed out, "(In the case of former President Roh's father-in-law) the individual was inevitably caught up in the vicissitudes of history. This time, although no charges have been confirmed, it is just a case close to financial fraud."

Former Prosecutor General Yoon's mother-in-law, Choi, was indicted without detention on charges of fraudulently receiving 2.29 billion won in nursing care benefits from the National Health Insurance Corporation while establishing and operating a nursing hospital in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, from 2013 to 2015 with three business partners. Kim appears to have classified this as 'financial fraud.'

Lee Jun-seok, former Supreme Council member and a candidate for the People Power Party leadership. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Regarding this, candidate Lee asked, "What do you consider love, Kim Eo-jun?" He continued, "If your wife is truly lovable, but you had known in advance that your mother-in-law might have disqualifying reasons, would you then have to abandon your wife?"

When Kim said, "My point is whether the same response as (former President Roh) would achieve the same effect," candidate Lee replied, "I don't think you can give a similar effect or similar impression in a similar way," but then asked, "In that situation, for example, what would you, male Kim Eo-jun, choose?"

Kim then said, "I have never been a presidential candidate," and candidate Lee said, "(Former Prosecutor General Yoon) was just a prosecutor at that time."

Earlier, former Supreme Council member Lee said in an interview with a media outlet on the 29th of last month, "If attacks come against former Prosecutor General Yoon's wife or mother-in-law after he joins the party, I will present three silk pouches to former Prosecutor General Yoon." The silk pouches Lee mentioned refer to the 'Jinnyangmyogye' strategy used by Zhuge Liang in the 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms,' meaning a clever solution to effectively respond to crises.