Kim Yong-tae "Do You Really Divide Youth into Real and Fake... Apologize"
[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Joo-hee] Kim Yong-tae, the Youth Supreme Council Member of the People Power Party, demanded an apology from fellow party member Park Soo-young, who called the young aides critical of presidential candidate Yoon Seok-yeol "not true youth."
On the 7th, Kim posted on Facebook titled "Park Soo-young's Fake Youth Remarks, Apologize," stating, "All youth are simply youth; we should refrain from trying to divide them into real or fake."
He said, "The young aides are those whom the candidate has repeatedly emphasized the importance of to the public with determination," adding, "To say they are 'not true youth' just because they criticize the candidate directly contradicts the party and candidate's views. Recognize that these young people still care about our party, which is why they offer criticism."
He continued, "Candidate Yoon has also repeatedly emphasized that the youth see the world most broadly and that he will make a completely fresh start with the youth," and said, "I have often been inspired and impressed by Park's words, but she should apologize for this remark."
Park Su-young, member of the People Power Party./Photo by National Assembly Press Corps [Image source=Yonhap News]
Earlier, before the disbandment of the election campaign committee, on the 5th, candidate Yoon participated via speakerphone in a youth video conference hosted by the Public Communication Headquarters, which sparked controversy. The next day, on the 6th, a meeting was held at the party headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, between candidate Yoon and the young aides of the campaign committee, where critical remarks toward Yoon continued.
The young aides openly criticized Yoon, saying, "Right now, only sycophants, flatterers, and political parasites surround the candidate," "You should go with Representative Lee Jun-seok," and "The image of being an old-fashioned boss is solidifying."
Regarding this, Park appeared on Channel A's 'News TOP10' the same day and claimed, "The young aides are people who came into politics. They should have met true youth, youth working on the ground, youth struggling on the ground. I think the meeting was poorly organized from the start."
When the host pointed out, "The People Power Party's young aides are also youth; shouldn't their voices be heard without filtering?" Park reiterated, "They should have met pure youth, but the first step was wrong," adding, "If you want to hear the voices of youth who are actually working and struggling, the meeting should have been held not at 2 p.m. but at 7 or 8 p.m."
Meanwhile, Park is reported to have apologized for the problematic remarks. Kim posted on Facebook, "I just received a call from Representative Park, and she expressed her apology. I also thank her for the sincere apology and hope she will lead our party's youth well in the future."
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