Park Ji-hyun: "President Yoon, after visiting NATO, alienates China and others, causing a crisis in the Korean economy... Looks immature to the public"

"Lee Jae-myung Changed After Presidential and Local Elections... No Comment on Choi Kang-wook and Park Wan-joo Cases"
"If Lee Jae-myung Becomes Party Leader, High Chance of Political Strife"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] Former Emergency Committee Chairperson of the Democratic Party of Korea, Park Ji-hyun, said on the 4th, "I felt that Representative Lee Jae-myung changed after the presidential and local elections." She pointed out that contrary to his promise to take a firm stance on sexual crime issues, he showed a tendency toward leniency. Regarding President Yoon Suk-yeol’s attendance at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit, his first multilateral diplomatic stage, she evaluated it as "immature in the eyes of the public."

On the same day, appearing on CBS Radio’s ‘Kim Hyun-jung’s News Show,’ former Chairperson Park said, "During the presidential election, he repeatedly promised to take a firm stance on digital sexual crimes and sexual offenses, but he barely said anything about the expulsion of Representative Park Wan-joo or the case involving Representative Choi Kang-wook." She added, "He even blocked attempts to discuss Representative Choi’s case. I thought it was leniency." She said, "If the party does not reflect on this leniency, I think the Democratic Party has no future," and added, "I think this was the turning point that made me decide to cut off leniency and sexual violence issues."

Regarding why she criticized Representative Lee, whom she had supported as the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate in the last election, former Chairperson Park said, "I still respect Representative Lee and have no change in my view that he is a valuable asset to our party," but she mentioned, "I hope he does not run for party leader now because there are many issues related to him." She explained, "There are too many problems related to investigations, and if Representative Lee becomes party leader, the Yoon Suk-yeol government and the People Power Party will continuously attempt political retaliation, and our party will be busy defending against this. If that happens, livelihood issues will be neglected again, and there is a great concern that it will be seen as mere political strife."

Regarding the 97 Group, who have consecutively declared their candidacy as rivals to Representative Lee, she said, "I want to ask what is different except that they are about 10 years younger than the 50s and 60s generation," and criticized, "Except for Representative Park Yong-jin, those who declared their candidacy were silent about party reform and renewal, which I kept talking about during my time as Emergency Committee Chairperson."

In response to criticism that she has not met the eligibility requirements to run in the party convention because she joined the Democratic Party less than six months ago, she stated, "If a decision is made (by the Emergency Committee), I will abide by that decision." On the same day, Woo Sang-ho, Emergency Committee Chairperson of the Democratic Party, said, "The Emergency Committee members consider former Chairperson Park a valuable talent of the Democratic Party but have not found unavoidable reasons to grant exceptions," and added, "We decided not to submit an agenda to the Party Affairs Committee to discuss an exception clause for former Chairperson Park’s candidacy in the party convention."

Former Chairperson Park criticized the Yoon Suk-yeol government. She said, "Recently, President Yoon Suk-yeol finally attended NATO, but his approval rating continues to fall below the dead cross," and pointed out, "President Yoon’s first overseas visit was to China and other countries, which has pushed the Korean economy into a crisis, and the public sees this as immature." She continued, "Ignoring livelihood issues and the power struggle between Yoon’s core supporters and Representative Lee Jun-seok likely made the public feel uneasy." When asked to give a grade, she gave a "D grade."