Ha Tae-kyung: "The President Neither Admitted Nor Denied Calling Someone 'I××'... Should Apologize If Vulgar Language Was Used"

Violation of Media Ethics and Poor Response by the Presidential Office Both Criticized
"People Doubt a President Who Uses Indecent Language"

Ha Tae-kyung, Member of the People Power Party./Photo by Dongju Yoon doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Joo-hee] Ha Tae-kyung, a member of the People Power Party, evaluated President Yoon Suk-yeol's 'profanity controversy' as "a combination of (media's) poor reporting and (the presidential office's) inadequate response."

On the 27th, Ha said on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' that "no matter how much you analyze this issue, it seems impossible to avoid a false equivalence," pointing out that both the media and the presidential office acted inappropriately.

He stated, "The presidential office requested a non-reporting. It wasn't because it was difficult, but because the audio was unclear and they needed to confirm with the person involved. After that, (President Yoon) continued with his schedule and reportedly requested non-reporting. However, it was simply reported definitively as 'Biden,' and it was portrayed as if he made a disrespectful remark toward the U.S.," he said.

He continued, "This has become a major diplomatic issue. U.S. lawmakers have started posting criticisms of the Korean president on their Twitter or social networking services (SNS)," adding, "I believe they should not have made definitive statements when reporting. This is a very poor fact-check and a violation of journalistic ethics."

Ha also criticized the response from President Yoon and the presidential office. He said, "(President Yoon) clearly denies saying 'Biden.' However, regarding the 'i××' remark, he neither admits nor denies it," adding, "This is somewhat difficult to understand, and the response is very inadequate. Yesterday (the 26th), the president should have immediately explained exactly what he said," he said. President Yoon, during a door-stepping on the morning of the 26th, did not clarify whether he used profanity, only stating, "It is dangerous to let the alliance deteriorate due to false reporting." Ha also pointed out the presidential office, saying, "Although there were unavoidable circumstances that prevented an immediate response, the response was too slow no matter what."

Ha said, "The controversy over the disrespectful remarks toward the U.S. is the core nature of this incident, and the profanity controversy is a secondary issue, but it also needs to be explained," adding, "The public wonders, 'Does the president use such unrefined language even in private?' This leads to an increasing number of disappointed citizens. Therefore, the presidential office should not take this matter lightly."

Regarding the presidential office's refusal to disclose who the 'i××' remark was directed at, Ha said, "They need to explain why they cannot reveal it, and I am also very curious," emphasizing, "Even if it is the domestic opposition party, if profanity was used, it is something that should be apologized for."