Hong Joon-pyo, People Power Party lawmaker, Lee Jae-myung, Governor of Gyeonggi Province Photo by Yonhap News
[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] Hong Jun-pyo, a member of the People Power Party who declared his candidacy for the presidential election, predicted that former leader Lee Nak-yeon would become the final presidential candidate for the Democratic Party of Korea.
On the 22nd, Hong appeared on CBS Radio's 'One Match' and said, "I am not sure whether I will become the (opposition) candidate, but I believe the ruling party's candidate will be Lee Nak-yeon."
He belittled Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung, who is leading in the approval ratings, saying, "I don't know how Lee Jae-myung was as governor of Gyeonggi Province, but he has lived his life too recklessly to become president." This appears to refer to recent controversies surrounding Lee, including the actress scandal and the verbal abuse controversy involving his sister-in-law.
Hong added, "In the end, I believe the choice of Democratic Party members and supporters will lean toward Lee Nak-yeon."
Regarding the controversy over his criticism of former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl, he said, "People in our party who support Prosecutor General Yoon keep calling it 'internal shooting,' but we still don't know if Yoon is part of our party or not. That is external shooting, not internal shooting."
Earlier, former Prosecutor General Yoon stated his position on former Gyeongnam Province Governor Kim Kyung-soo's confirmed guilty verdict in the so-called 'Druking comment manipulation' case, saying, "The judiciary's ruling confirms that there is a serious problem with the fundamental legitimacy of the current regime."
Hong responded, "(That statement) is self-denial. It was a case that he concealed but we (People Power Party) uncovered through a special prosecutor. He should not say that the Moon Jae-in administration was an illegitimate government. If so, it means he was the Prosecutor General of an illegitimate government," adding, "It is our (People Power Party's) role to attack an illegitimate government, but seeing former Prosecutor General Yoon do it inappropriately, I told him 'this is not a place for you to be involved.'"
Furthermore, when told that it seems he is trying to check former Prosecutor General Yoon, he said, "People keep saying it's a check, but I find it frustrating. When I was a prosecutor or in politics, if I saw something wrong, of course I was criticized and insulted. If someone does something wrong, I do not distinguish between friend or foe."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
