[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Ju-yeon] On the 17th, Ahn Cheol-soo, leader of the People’s Party, said to Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party of Korea’s presidential candidate (Governor of Gyeonggi Province), "It seems he feels an extreme sense of crisis," adding, "Candidate Lee should move forward with a future war, not a history war." This remark was made in response to Lee’s statement on the 15th, criticizing the ruling that the disciplinary action against former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl was appropriate, where Lee said, "It is like pro-Japanese collaborators disguising their identity and pretending to be independence fighters."
On the same day, Ahn said on Facebook, "'Left reds' (colorism) and 'toyae' (accusations of deep-rooted evils) are the two absolute rings of the entrenched powers," and criticized, "The strategy of blindly labeling anyone as 'pro-Japanese' or 'communist' is a desperate measure first offered by the side under pressure."
He continued, "From the very first step of his presidential campaign, Candidate Lee declared a 'history war' of 'pro-Japanese versus anti-Japanese,'" and said, "Lee’s method of purging pro-Japanese elements is not about overcoming Japan but a personal purge like in the movie Heroic Trio starring Chow Yun-fat, where everyone dies, including himself."
Furthermore, Ahn pointed out, "Candidate Lee’s model for purging pro-Japanese elements is North Korea and China," adding, "The most worrisome aspect is that his history war, based on 'pro-North Korea, submissive to China, anti-American, and anti-Japan' sentiments, is ongoing and represents the future of the Republic of Korea he envisions."
He then criticized, "Candidate Lee, who repeatedly makes statements that seem to deny the legitimacy of the Republic of Korea for political purposes, is unqualified to be a presidential candidate of the Republic of Korea."
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