Jeong Ui-hwa, former Speaker of the National Assembly and honorary co-chairman of the election campaign committee for Choi Jae-hyung, a preliminary presidential candidate of the People Power Party, is delivering a greeting at the election strategy meeting held on the 9th of last month at the Daehwa Building election office in Yeouido, Seoul. (Photo by Yonhap News)
[Asia Economy Reporter Kum Boryeong] Former National Assembly Speaker Jeong Ui-hwa officially withdrew his support for Choi Jae-hyung, former Auditor General and a presidential candidate of the People Power Party.
On the 23rd, Jeong announced on Facebook, "I am withdrawing my political support for candidate Choi Jae-hyung." Jeong had served as a co-honorary campaign committee chairman for Choi's camp.
He explained, "My initial impression of Choi Jae-hyung as a person was, 'South Korea has a national fortune!'" He added, "I volunteered as a missionary for Choi Jae-hyung because I thought that if someone as morally perfect as him, who knows how to tell the president when something is wrong, becomes president, South Korea would advance as a mature developed country."
Jeong continued, "Although many citizens had high expectations, after observing candidate Choi Jae-hyung's remarks and political actions over the past month, I could not help but feel regret and disappointment." He emphasized, "What the people expected from candidate Choi, and what I called 'Choi Jae-hyung-ness,' was for him, as a former judge, to compete based on the rule of law for market economy and liberal democracy, the spirit of upholding the constitution, and genuine love for the underprivileged."
Jeong expressed his disappointment with Choi’s abandonment of measures to prevent reverse voting, and his stances on abortion and the abolition of inheritance tax. In particular, regarding Choi’s remarks on the Gadeokdo New Airport on that day, Jeong said he was "dumbfounded." Choi criticized the Gadeokdo New Airport project as a "waste of taxpayers’ money" and mentioned reconsideration.
Jeong stated, "This is not the 'Choi Jae-hyung-ness' I had in mind," and criticized, "Politics is a collaborative art. It is neither desirable nor in line with the essence of politics for a politician who will open the fate and future of a country to pour out personal opinions on social issues without filtering them or to announce their thoughts on policies as official statements."
However, he added, "I feel heavy-hearted to withdraw my support myself," but said, "I still deeply respect the morality and character of the person, candidate Choi Jae-hyung."
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