People Power Party Rejects Kang Yong-seok's Reinstatement Proposal at Supreme Council Meeting
[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] On the 7th, Ha Tae-kyung, a member of the People Power Party, criticized lawyer Kang Yong-seok, saying, "I don't understand why he wants to go into politics."
Earlier, Kang, who declared his candidacy for governor of Gyeonggi Province, applied for reinstatement to the People Power Party. The Seoul branch of the People Power Party approved his reinstatement application, but it was rejected by the Supreme Council.
On the same day, Ha appeared on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' and said, "I'm not a frequent viewer of the YouTube channel 'Garo Sero Research Institute' (Gaseyeon), but when I scroll through YouTube, I sometimes watch it out of curiosity because of its very provocative titles." Kang currently appears on the YouTube channel 'Gaseyeon.'
He pointed out the provocative nature of the 'Gaseyeon' broadcasts, saying, "The fact that the Seoul branch made such a judgment makes me question whether this is the kind of politics our party should pursue," and added, "I believe it was right for the Supreme Council to reject it today."
He continued, "For his own sake, it would be better if he just did broadcasting," and emphasized, "Although I am not a member of the Supreme Council, if I were, I would cast a vote against the reinstatement."
Ha also said, "Actually, there are quite a few supporters on that side and many viewers of the broadcasts, so I will probably receive a lot of criticism. Even if I get criticized for saying this, I have to speak the truth. (Kang) should not go into politics," and added, "Otherwise, he should just form an independent party or run as an independent."
Former lawmaker Kang applied for reinstatement to the People Power Party on the 4th, declaring his candidacy for governor of Gyeonggi Province in the June 1 local elections. The Seoul branch approved his reinstatement on the 5th, but the Supreme Council rejected it.
Attorney Kang Yong-seok, a cast member of the YouTube channel 'Garosero Research Institute,' held a press conference at Seryu Station in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, on the afternoon of the 4th, declaring his candidacy for the Gyeonggi Province governor election. [Image source=Yonhap News]
Ha sharply criticized the Seoul branch's unanimous approval of the reinstatement, saying, "I think they are out of their minds."
He said, "Did they properly watch and evaluate the YouTube broadcasts so far... Honestly, I can't believe the Seoul branch made such a judgment. While the Democratic Party is trying to reform itself, I feel like our party is actually sinking lower," he directly criticized.
When asked by the host if he thought there might be some hidden strategy behind Kang's reinstatement, Ha replied, "Not at all."
He added, "Who could he possibly consult with? If he says one word, they would broadcast it and try to make a scoop."
Meanwhile, the People Power Party Supreme Council held a meeting at the National Assembly that morning and announced that they had put Kang's reinstatement proposal to a vote but it was 'rejected.'
Lee Jun-seok, leader of the People Power Party, told reporters after the meeting, "We voted to ask the Supreme Council members for their opinions on the matter, and it was rejected."
He added, "We did not hold a debate. I thought each Supreme Council member already had their own stance on this issue, so we did not have any statements or mutual discussions."
Kang served as a member of the 18th National Assembly under the Grand National Party (the predecessor of the People Power Party), but was expelled from the party in 2010 due to derogatory remarks about announcers.
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