Kim Ki-hyun "Strict Warning Against Linking Jeon Gwang-hoon with the Party"

"Jeon Gwang-hoon Is Not a Member of Uri Party"
Seemingly Targeting Hong Joon-pyo's Remarks

Kim Ki-hyun, the leader of the People Power Party, issued a stern warning against remarks linking Pastor Jeon Gwang-hoon of Sarang Jeil Church to the party, stating that it "does not help the party at all." This appears to be directed at Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo, who said that "the party is being cautious of Pastor Jeon."

On the 11th, Kim expressed his deep regret as the party leader through his social media, saying, "I deeply regret the phenomenon of malicious attacks that falsely associate the People Power Party with Pastor Jeon, who is not even a member of our party, as if we were a community."

He emphasized, "I have repeatedly stated that the People Power Party has no relationship with Pastor Jeon to the extent that we need to draw a line. Pastor Jeon is known to have founded another party and actually represents that party, so what relationship could such a person have with our party?"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Kim warned strictly as the party leader against any behavior that links every move of Pastor Jeon to the party and damages the honor of the party and its members, saying, "Currently, the People Power Party faces numerous pressing livelihood issues. At a time when we should focus on changes in the era and strive to embrace greater public sentiment, unnecessary controversies related to Pastor Jeon do not help the party at all."

The collusion between the so-called "asphalt conservatives" represented by Pastor Jeon and the People Power Party has been pointed out several times. Recently, Kim Jae-won, the senior supreme council member, attended Pastor Jeon's worship service and made several controversial remarks, and former party leader Hwang Kyo-ahn, who led the party's predecessor, the United Future Party, revealed that Pastor Jeon had made excessive demands for nominations.

In response, voices within the party call for a clear line to be drawn from Pastor Jeon. A representative of this is Mayor Hong. On the morning of the same day, through social media, Hong criticized the party's response, saying, "During Hwang Kyo-ahn's leadership, they promised to secure 180 seats but failed miserably. They absurdly promised 200 seats to Kim Ki-hyun. Yet, they only make passive denials like 'that person is not even our party member' while being cautious."