'Phone Bombardment' Directed at Gwangju Cafe Owner Criticizing Moon... Lee Eon-ju Claims "Group Assault"

Former People Power Party lawmaker Lee Eon-ju [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Soyoung] Former People Power Party lawmaker Lee Eon-ju expressed anger over the phone bombings from some hardline supporters of the ruling party directed at Bae Hoon-cheon, the 'Gwangju cafe owner' who openly criticized the Moon Jae-in administration by name, saying, "It feels like a nightmare is coming back."

On the 16th, Lee posted on his Facebook, stating, "Sending threatening text message bombs and phone bombings when someone criticizes the politician they support is terrorism, an invisible group lynching, and collective assault."

He added, "I have also been subjected to this to the point of exhaustion in the past," and strongly condemned, "Text message bombs and phone bombings carried out by groups consumed by hatred and madness are not normal expressions of opinion but rather manifestations of a people's dictatorship that does not tolerate differences."

He continued, "Everyone has the freedom to criticize, but it is not acceptable to criticize through collective violence," and pointed out, "They are the Red Guards who effectively intimidate the targets into silence, suppressing freedom of conscience and freedom of criticism."

He further lamented, "They are the fascist forces that annihilate the human soul and human freedom and destroy democracy, yet the Democratic Party, which monopolizes the symbolic capital of democratization forces, ignores the seriousness of this and utters trivial words like 'seasoning,' 'freedom of expression,' and 'political will.' How outrageous this is."

Lee added, "This text message bombing seems to vividly reveal the tragic reality of South Korea's activist groups, who have lost sensitivity to liberal democracy and have become accustomed to reactionary bureaucracy and collectivist repression, which is truly bitter."

He advised, "To the 586 seniors of South Korea who once passionately shouted for 'democracy,' a junior from Generation X says, if you truly wish for freedom and democracy to take root in this land, please use the freedom and democracy you dreamed of to tell these Democratic Party Red Guards, who engage in such terrorism, what true freedom is. Please do not be intimidated by such fascist forces."

He urged, "Please show us the true image of the wonderful democratization seniors we once saw, the image that is not servile."

He also warned, "When someone in a leadership position like former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk adopts an arrogant attitude of 'I am always right and you are wrong,' the side effects turn countless people into soulless Red Guards. Sometimes, such arrogance in history has led to tremendous tragedies like the Cultural Revolution, the Holocaust, and people's trials during the Korean War."

Photo by a Facebook capture of Bae Hooncheon, the 'Gwangju cafe owner' who openly criticized the Moon Jae-in administration by name

Meanwhile, on the 12th, Bae criticized the Moon Jae-in administration's economic policy at the 'Nationwide Forum on the Moon Jae-in Administration's Economic Policy and the Reality of Honam,' saying, "The Moon Jae-in administration's economic policy is, in a word, problematic, ignorant, incompetent, and reckless," which sparked controversy.

In response, on the 15th, former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk shared on his Twitter a video from MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' broadcast titled, "The Gwangju cafe owner who openly criticized Moon Jae-in by name?what is the real identity that the media hid?"

Subsequently, on the 16th, Bae posted on his Facebook, expressing his difficulties, saying, "Mr. Cho, because of your tweet implying that the Gwangju cafe owner is part of the Taegeukgi Brigade or Ilbe, I had to change my store phone to an answering machine."