Eonju Lee: "Double standards... Did you realize it after being targeted?"

Former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk (left) lamented that his phone number was exposed due to some far-right YouTubers, calling it a "collective outrage," while former People Power Party lawmaker Lee Eon-ju (right) criticized him, calling it "Joronambul."
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] Former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk lamented that his phone number was exposed due to some far-right YouTubers, calling it a "collective outrage." In response, former People Power Party lawmaker Lee Eon-ju criticized him as "Cho-ro-nam-bul" (a Korean term for hypocrisy), saying, "You pinpointed the Gwangju cafe owner, and now it's karma. Do you finally understand even a little the pain of those who are now suffering?"

On the 26th, Lee posted on his Facebook, addressing Cho, "Why do you express your pain so much while being so indifferent to the pain of others?"

Lee continued, "Former Minister Cho, do you remember recently pinpointing the Gwangju cafe owner and causing him to receive a barrage of phone calls?" He added, "We all have freedom of thought and expression, but do you now realize how great the mental shock and damage are when people you don't know collectively send abusive and threatening calls and texts just because they think differently?"

He further said, "Do you now understand that this is violence and terrorism, that it is, as you said, a 'collective outrage,' and that pinpointing someone is 'inciting collective outrage'?" He asked, "Can you now somewhat understand the pain of opposition figures who suffered from text bombing by hardline supporters of the Moon Jae-in administration in its early days?" He also criticized, "At that time, was there anyone among progressive figures who stood up to voice their conscience?"

The 'Gwangju cafe owner' appears to refer to Bae Hoon-cheon, who criticized the Moon Jae-in government's economic policies. Bae criticized the income-led growth policy at the 'Manmin Debate' held on the 12th at the Gwangju April 19 Revolution Memorial Hall.

After Bae's remarks were publicized through the media, some raised suspicions that he was speaking with political intent. On some pro-government online communities, posts criticizing Bae appeared, saying things like "Is he really a pure self-employed person?" and "He seems to have far-right tendencies." It is also known that some hardline supporters of the ruling party sent Bae abusive and threatening phone calls and text messages.

At that time, former Minister Cho shared related content on his social media that might have aroused curiosity about Bae's identity.

On the 26th, former People Power Party lawmaker Lee Eon-ju posted a critical message about former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk on her Facebook page. [Photo by Facebook]

However, former lawmaker Lee said, "That does not mean the opposition camp can go beyond legitimate criticism of former Minister Cho to excessive ridicule, slander, and phone bombing." He asserted, "We must not tolerate any acts that destroy personal dignity, human dignity, freedom, and democracy."

He added, "The activist groups claim that South Korea has become democratic, but it is still far from it. They are beginning to realize that it is problematic to mistakenly think that harassing others with collective phone and text bombings just because they dislike someone or have different opinions is a way of communication. They are finally learning how to convey and enforce their claims properly."