Hong Jun-pyo's side reveals 'Yoon's Outrageous Remarks List,' Yoon Seok-yeol's side counters with 'Hong's Abusive Language List'... Tensions Escalate

Hong side: "If Yoon Seok-yeol reaches the general election, it will be the era of 'President Lee Jae-myung'"
Yoon side responds: "He seems desensitized due to too many reckless remarks"

People Power Party presidential primary candidate Hong Joon-pyo (left) and former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] With the main primary election to decide the People Power Party's presidential candidate just over ten days away, the clashes between the two leading candidates, Assemblyman Hong Joon-pyo and former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl, are becoming increasingly intense.

Hong's camp recently raised the offensive level by compiling and releasing a list of Yoon's verbal blunders and controversial remarks following a series of unfortunate incidents such as Yoon's 'Jeon Du-hwan defense' comments and the 'dog apology' controversy. Yoon's camp responded by revealing a list of Hong's past sexist and offensive remarks.

On the 24th, Hong Joon-pyo's campaign issued a press release stating, "In addition to numerous unresolved suspicions such as his mother-in-law's corruption, allegations of stock manipulation involvement by his wife and mother-in-law, and the concealment of investigations into loan corruption related to the Seongnam Daejang-dong SPC, Yoon's speech also carries significant risks that could lower our party's approval ratings in the general election," and released a list summarizing Yoon's verbal blunders and offensive remarks.

The list released by Hong Joon-pyo's camp includes a total of 25 items, such as ▲ "It pains me to think of Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye" (key figures behind the imprisonment of the two former presidents) ▲ "Workers should work hard for 120 hours a week, not 52 hours, and then be free to rest as they wish" (lack of understanding of workers) ▲ "Poor people should be allowed the freedom to choose even if it means eating substandard food" (belittling poverty) ▲ "If the COVID-19 outbreak had occurred somewhere other than Daegu, there would have been a riot" (inciting regional sentiment) ▲ "The Fukushima nuclear plant and radiation leakage basically should not have happened" (acknowledging Japanese radiation exposure) ▲ "If you don't know about subscription savings accounts, you must have dementia" (belittling specific patients) ▲ "If we don't change this mindset, our party will disappear" (inciting internal division) ▲ "Many say that President Jeon Du-hwan did well in politics except for the military coup and the May 18 incident" (defending Jeon Du-hwan), among others.

Hong Joon-pyo's camp warned, "Imagine Yoon, who has made verbal blunders and offensive remarks dozens of times, making another mistake after advancing to the general election," adding, "If that happens, we will face the risk of entering the era of 'President Lee Jae-myung' as it is."

People Power Party presidential primary candidates Representative Hong Jun-pyo (left) and former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl are heading to their seats after taking a commemorative photo before the "1-on-1 Debate" held on the evening of the 15th at the MBC building in Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

In response, Yoon's camp immediately countered by releasing a 'Hong Joon-pyo offensive remarks list.' Yoon Seok-youl's campaign criticized, "Hong's offensive remarks are so numerous that one might become desensitized," and added, "It is clear that if such Hong runs in the presidential election, he will inevitably lose."

The list of Hong's offensive remarks released by Yoon's camp includes ▲ "I dislike Ewha women. They are so annoying that I want to beat them up" ▲ "Men should not be made to do women's work (dishwashing)" ▲ "(To a broadcasting station security guard) I'm not here to see your faces, you little..." ▲ "(About former Assemblywoman Na Kyung-won) Candidates who look in the mirror and just put on makeup are no good" ▲ "(Targeting former President Park Geun-hye) I thought she was Chunhyang but she was Hyangdan" ▲ "(Regarding the pig libido drug controversy) I overlooked a friend's sexual crime a little, but I was harshly criticized for it" ▲ "(To former Assemblyman Yoon Hee-sook) When the mullet jumps, the mudfish also jumps," among others.

Meanwhile, the People Power Party will conduct party member voting and general public opinion polls over four days from the 1st to the 4th of next month, each accounting for 50%, and will select the final candidate on the 5th.