"Former President Roh Moo-hyun ended his life after a marital fight"
"Should smash the back of the head with a wooden club"
Despite abusive language, selected as recipient of the 'Proper Political Language Award that Brightened the National Assembly'
Former People Power Party lawmaker Kim Jin-tae is holding a press conference on the 18th at the protest site in front of the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, apologizing for his remarks related to the May 18 incident and Buddhism. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@
[Asia Economy Reporter Ra Young-cheol] The controversy over the nomination for the Gangwon Province governor in the June 1 local elections by the People Power Party has been temporarily settled with the 'public apology' from preliminary candidate Kim Jin-tae.
On the 18th, the party decided to give Kim, who had been excluded (cut off) from the nomination due to his past offensive remarks, another chance on the condition of a 'public apology.'
Following Kim's immediate release of an apology statement, it is expected that the candidate will be decided through a primary election against former KBS anchor Hwang Sang-moo.
The problematic remarks involved claims that 'North Korean troops intervened in the May 18 Democratic Uprising' and statements that 'law enforcement should be deployed' regarding the Jogye Order's acceptance in 2015 of the protection request for Han Sang-gyun, the head of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions.
In his apology statement, Kim said, "I must take political responsibility for remarks that were out of touch with the public sentiment. I admit it was a bit excessive."
In response, preliminary candidate Hwang Sang-moo stated, "I humbly accept the decision of the nomination committee." Regarding this, the central party proposed to proceed with the originally planned primary candidate debate on the 20th as scheduled.
Earlier, Kim Haeng, spokesperson for the nomination committee, told reporters after the committee meeting in the afternoon, "We have finally decided to hold a primary election between candidates Kim Jin-tae and Hwang Sang-moo in Gangwon Province."
Spokesperson Kim said, "Candidate Kim Jin-tae clearly apologized for his remarks related to May 18 and Buddhism, and we judged his apology to be sincere," adding, "We believe he has sufficiently fulfilled his political duty."
The primary election will be conducted through public opinion polls over two days, on the 21st and 22nd, with the final candidate being decided on the 23rd.
The People Power Party, which initially excluded a leading candidate based on various polls, reversed the decision within just a few days.
From May 10, when President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol assumes office, the party will transform into the ruling party.
However, criticism toward the party over the Gangwon Province governor nomination incident has not subsided.
It is said that this incident tarnished the 'fairness and common sense' that President-elect Yoon had emphasized so much and sparked so-called 'Yoon's mind (尹心)' controversy surrounding the nomination issue, effectively 'dividing' conservative voters in the Gangwon region.
Moreover, the party did not disclose the results of the internal polls it conducted and suddenly took issue with remarks made several years ago, cutting off a candidate who was leading in local polls, thereby hampering their campaign.
There is also criticism that the party's decision to initially grant a single nomination to another candidate but then reverse it within four days to hold a primary election following a hunger strike and objections from the competing candidate is itself a comedy.
The biggest victims are the candidates and campaign staff who risked everything during the extremely short election campaign period.
Meanwhile, past remarks by Jeong Jin-seok, chairman of the People Power Party's nomination committee, are also being reexamined.
Chairman Jeong Jin-seok caused controversy in April 2019, when he was a member of the Liberty Korea Party, by making offensive remarks ahead of the 5th anniversary of the Sewol ferry disaster.
Jeong posted on his SNS during the 5th anniversary of the Sewol ferry disaster, "Stop milking the Sewol ferry disaster. If the dead kids are pitiful, this really shouldn't be done. It's now sickening," and added, "Message I received this morning," sparking an uproar.
He also previously caused controversy by making offensive remarks such as "Former President Roh Moo-hyun committed suicide after a marital quarrel" and "People who do not help the survival of conservatism should be hit on the back of the head with a wooden mallet."
When he was selected as the recipient of the 'Proper Political Language Award that Brightened the National Assembly' at the 8th ceremony hosted by the Korean Political Communication Association, the association itself was ridiculed for choosing him.
Now, three years later, he is a five-term National Assembly member, the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, and soon to be the chairman of the ruling party's nomination committee, managing the nominations of preliminary candidates within his party.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
