[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Hyun-seok] Yoon Seok-yeol, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, on the 21st addressed some criticisms that his mention of the sexual violence case involving former Chungnam Governor Ahn Hee-jung, which surfaced during the disclosure of his wife Kim Geon-hee's '7-hour phone call,' constituted secondary harm. He stated, "I have apologized to those who were hurt, and my feelings have not changed."
On the afternoon of the same day in Daejeon, Yoon met with reporters and said, "It was inappropriate for the private conversation to be disclosed by a public broadcaster."
Regarding the controversy surrounding Kim's involvement with shamanism, he refrained from commenting, saying, "I will leave it to the judgment of the people."
Yoon also commented on Democratic Party lawmaker Jeong Cheong-rae facing criticism from the Buddhist community over his 'Bong-i Kim Seon-dal' remark, saying, "The Buddhist community is very upset with the attitude of politicians toward religion, especially from such an important figure in the party." He added, "As a member of the public, I can fully understand the Buddhist community's situation," but also said, "I do not wish to comment further on Jeong's remarks."
Additionally, when asked by reporters whether he plans to meet former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min after the Lunar New Year, Yoon replied, "We will consider all necessary measures to run the presidential election as one team."
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