"Jeongsinmeori", "Can't even beat them up"... Heated verbal clashes among candidates
Policy verification 'missing' amid tense nerve-wracking exchanges
From the left, presidential primary candidates Won Hee-ryong, Yoo Seung-min, Yoon Seok-youl, and Hong Joon-pyo are preparing for the joint debate in the Honam region at the KBS Gwangju Broadcasting Headquarters in Chipyeong-dong, Seo-gu, Gwangju, on the afternoon of the 11th. [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] The verbal sparring among the People Power Party's presidential candidates, who have entered the main primary, continues day after day. Some critics say that healthy policy debates have disappeared.
On the 13th, candidate Yoon Seok-yeol, at the appointment ceremony of the Jeju campaign headquarters held by the People Power Party Jeju Provincial Party, sharply criticized the attacks from intra-party primary candidates targeting him, saying, "Whether we bring the regime or not is a secondary issue, but if we don't change this mindset first, our party will disappear. Once you enter politics, there is no separate ruling party or opposition party."
He continued, "When I was Prosecutor General, if corruption was revealed, we investigated it, and if the truth was uncovered through investigation, we dealt with it accordingly. Despite doing such common-sense work, they tried to destroy me completely," expressing displeasure. "Our party seniors used to say that before I entered politics, I was a 'great prosecutor persecuted for properly enforcing the law,' but once I stepped into politics, the persecution suddenly turned into suspicion."
In response, Representative Hong Joon-pyo posted on his Facebook on the 14th, saying, "How arrogant. Someone who has only been here for three months says if the mindset doesn't change, the party will be dissolved? I have loved and protected this party for 26 years," and criticized, "He is shameless and extremely arrogant."
Former Representative Yoo Seung-min also directly attacked, saying, "What are you afraid of that you stab a knife in the back? Is this a habit from being a henchman of the Moon Jae-in administration?" and "Thanks to being a lapdog of the Moon Jae-in administration, you rose to sudden fame, and now you think you can do anything?" Former Jeju Governor Won Hee-ryong also criticized, saying, "When verifying, the candidate may feel very uncomfortable or distressed," and that the "mindset" remark was "a clear slip of the tongue and an insult to party members."
Civilians are showing fatigue over the tense exchanges among opposition candidates. There are also criticisms that the most important policy verification and vision battles in the primary are being lost amid the verbal sparring.
University student A (24) said, "The Democratic Party, which had many words during the primary, has settled its conflicts, so if the People Power Party continues to have verbal controversies, there will definitely be comparisons between the two parties," adding, "This is an important election about 'regime change or regime continuation,' but the opposition party seems to be only engaged in verbal fights."
On the afternoon of the 13th, candidates posed before the start of the People Power Party presidential primary debate held at the KBS Jeju Broadcasting Headquarters. [Image source=Yonhap News]
The verbal controversy among the People Power Party presidential candidates also occurred earlier this month. On the 3rd, Representative Hong, at a party member meeting in the Busan area, mentioned Representative Ha Tae-kyung, saying, "That guy split our party back then and went out telling us to dissolve the party," and "I can't even beat him up," among other remarks.
In response, Representative Ha demanded an apology, saying, "Representative Hong, I thought you had improved, but your true colors of verbal abuse remain," and "How can you say such things as 'that guy who was telling us to dissolve the party' and 'I could beat him up' about a competitor in the same party?"
On the 9th, Representative Hong also criticized candidate Yoon Seok-yeol during a visit to Donghwasa Temple on Palgongsan Mountain in Daegu. He targeted Yoon and Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung, saying, "The main ruling party candidate should now be investigated as the main culprit of the Daejang-dong corruption, and the main opposition candidate and his mother-in-law, wife, and himself are all under investigation, potentially becoming a criminal community that might have to go to jail," adding, "In 26 years of politics, I have experienced truly shocking things. Even if such a person becomes president, will the people follow a criminal president?"
In response, Yoon Seok-yeol's campaign issued a statement calling it a "verbal abuse incurable disease." The campaign said, "Candidate Hong Joon-pyo, who has always been criticized for lacking dignity, lost his reason again and made verbal abuse," and "He spat out such low-level nonsense."
They added, "A few days ago, he drew criticism for saying 'I can't even beat him up' targeting another presidential candidate from the same party, and yet he acted disgracefully again," and "Therefore, there is even talk that Hong's verbal abuse is an incurable disease that will never be cured no matter how much time passes."
Meanwhile, according to the People Power Party on the 14th, a 'Public Opinion Survey Expert Advisory Committee' will be established to select the final presidential candidate, and the survey questions for the main primary will be discussed. It is predicted that if questions favorable or unfavorable to specific candidates are decided, conflicts among candidates will intensify again.
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