Hong Jun-pyo Targets Yoon Even After Debate: "Never Said I Would Succeed Jeon Du-hwan... Slandered with Lies"

"TK-born President Candidate Said... 'Not a Successor of Jeon Du-hwan'"

Hong Jun-pyo, a presidential primary candidate of the People Power Party, is speaking at a press conference urging a special prosecution investigation into the Daejang-dong corruption held at the Daegu City Party Office on the 20th. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Ju-hee] Hong Joon-pyo, a presidential primary candidate of the People Power Party, expressed displeasure toward his rival candidate, former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol, saying, "I have never said that I would succeed Jeon Du-hwan, but he habitually spreads lies to slander me again."

On the 20th, after the 5th Daegu·Gyeongbuk TV debate of the People Power Party presidential primary, Hong posted on Facebook, stating, "I was a prosecutor who indicted Jeon Du-hwan's nephew and elder brother and was demoted to Gwangju, and I have never said that I would succeed former President Jeon Du-hwan."

During the debate that day, when former Prosecutor General Yoon criticized Hong for his controversial remarks defending former President Jeon Du-hwan, Yoon retorted, "No, (Hong) also ran in the last presidential election and said he would succeed Park Chung-hee and Jeon Du-hwan. He himself said he would succeed former President Jeon Du-hwan."

In response, Hong said, "I remember saying during the May 2017 impeachment presidential election that I would become a TK-born president like Park Chung-hee, Jeon Du-hwan, Roh Tae-woo, Lee Myung-bak, and Park Geun-hye," adding, "How can that be twisted into saying I would succeed Jeon Du-hwan?"

He continued, "A person who even served as Prosecutor General consistently makes false excuses whenever he opens his mouth, and now he slanders rival candidates with lies," lamenting, "I am debating presidential candidates with someone who speaks nonsense like this."

Meanwhile, on the previous day (19th), former Prosecutor General Yoon sparked controversy over 'glorifying Jeon Du-hwan' when he said at a meeting of the Busan Haeundae-gap Party Members' Council, "There are people who say that former President Jeon did well politically except for the military coup and the May 18 incident. Quite a few people in Honam also say such things."

As criticism spread, Yoon explained, "What I meant was that if I become president, I will appoint experts and talents in each field to the right places so that they can demonstrate their capabilities."