Ahn Cheol-soo: "'Yes or No' is a Japanese Military Remark" vs Lee Jun-seok: "New Twist on War Criminal Labeling" Heated Debate

Lee Jun-seok "If asked 'Is it long or not' during talks, it feels like being treated as a war criminal"
Ahn Cheol-soo "The People Party is the 3rd largest party... We must not hurt the supporters' feelings"

Lee Jun-seok, leader of the People Power Party (left), and Ahn Cheol-soo, leader of the People Party. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] Ahn Cheol-soo, leader of the People’s Party, compared Lee Jun-seok, leader of the People Power Party, who pressured him to declare a 'Yes' or 'No' stance on the merger, to the Japanese military, prompting Lee to retaliate by saying, "The war criminal labeling is novel."

On the 4th, Lee posted on his social media, "From now on, anyone who asks 'Are you a spy or not?' during a conversation will be treated like a war criminal," criticizing Ahn by saying, "The war criminal labeling that goes beyond pro-Japanese accusations is novel."

Earlier, on the afternoon of the 4th, Ahn appeared on the YouTube show 'Kang Chan-ho's Too Much Talker' and said, "When the Japanese military forced the British army to surrender during World War II, they asked, 'Yes or No? (Will you surrender or not?)'," adding, "I wonder if (Lee) really meant it that way."

This seems to be a metaphor expressing that Lee is taking a high-handed attitude by leveraging his position as leader of the main opposition party.

Ahn Cheol-soo, leader of the People Party. / Photo by Yonhap News

Ahn stated, "The People’s Party is usually the third party with about 7-8% support. We must not hurt the feelings of the 7-8% support base," and pointed out, "When I speak, I do so as the party leader, considering the members and supporters of the opposing party."

He added, "It’s not a problem for politicians to exchange harsh words and hurt each other’s feelings, but if the supporters who watch that get hurt, synergy cannot be created," emphasizing, "That is my biggest concern."

Regarding the possibility of running independently in the presidential election, he distanced himself by saying, "I have never personally thought about it, nor has it been discussed within the party," and that it is only the personal thoughts of party-affiliated lawmakers.