"Regarding Yoon Jae-soon's Position" Question: "A Matter to Decide After Considering Public Opinion Through All Processes"
"Must Hear His Side Before Judgment... One-Sided Condemnation Is Inappropriate"
Kwon Seong-dong, Floor Leader of the People Power Party (right), and Sung Il-jong, Chairman of the Policy Committee, are talking at a meeting with invited groups of the May 18 Democratic Movement held at the National Assembly on the 16th. [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jung-wan] Kwon Seong-dong, floor leader of the People Power Party, said on the 17th regarding the position of Yoon Jae-soon, Secretary General of the Presidential Office, who is facing past sexual misconduct allegations and controversy over glorifying sexual harassment, "We need to listen to his position, and if there were mistakes in the past, he should properly apologize. It is a matter to be decided by examining public opinion through all those processes."
On the same day, Kwon appeared on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' and said, "When he was in the prosecution in the past, what facts were involved, what kind of disciplinary action he received, and why he was forgiven, what the content expressed in the poem was, whether it falls within the scope of freedom of expression as creative artistic freedom or not, it is right to judge (his position) after hearing his story."
It has been confirmed that Secretary Yoon received disciplinary actions twice for sexual misconduct allegations while serving in the prosecution, causing controversy. There is also ongoing controversy that a poem he wrote in the past glorified sexual harassment on the subway.
In response to the host's question, "Do you think the issue can be resolved if Secretary Yoon apologizes?" Floor leader Kwon emphasized that judgment should be made after confirming Secretary Yoon's position through the Operations Committee meeting held that day. He said, "First of all, fact-checking through his own words, the facts were not clearly revealed, were they? I think it is inappropriate to unilaterally condemn him recklessly."
Regarding Lee Si-won, Secretary for Public Service Discipline, who was involved in the 'spy fabrication case' during his time as a prosecutor, he said, "(The spy fabrication) was done by the National Intelligence Service, and this person (Secretary Lee) was the chief prosecutor who did not know about the evidence fabrication and was disciplined for not catching it." He added, "It was a kind of negligence or lack of attention, so it is not appropriate to compare the two on the same level."
Regarding the possibility of the appointment of Han Dong-hoon, Minister of Justice nominee, on the same day, he said, "There is no problem at all, but the Democratic Party wrongly judged him as unqualified just because he investigated them," and added, "Han Dong-hoon’s appointment should be made."
Regarding the position of Jeong Ho-young, Minister of Health and Welfare nominee, Floor leader Kwon said, "Since public opinion is divided, it is a matter to be decided by observing the trend of public opinion."
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