Yoon's 'Anti-State Forces' Remark Fallout... Moon Government Officials 'Boiling Mad'

Yoon Geon-young, Lee In-young and Other Former Moon Administration Members Condemn Statement
Presidential Office: "Remarks Not Directed at Previous Government"

Former President Moon Jae-in's administration officials and politicians who served as ministers criticized President Yoon Suk-yeol's remark about 'anti-state forces,' calling it "a statement befitting a far-right conservative group leader" and urged an apology. The presidential office stated that the remark was "not directed at the previous administration."

Lawmakers from the Moon Jae-in administration held a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Office on the 29th, saying, "The Yongsan Presidential Office must immediately clarify whose thoughts the term 'anti-state forces' reflects," and added, "If it truly reflects the president's own thoughts, he should immediately step forward and apologize to the public."

Lawmakers Kim Young-bae, Kim Eui-gyeom, Kim Han-gyu, Min Hyung-bae, Yoon Gun-young, Yoon Young-chan, and Jin Sung-jun participated in the press conference that day.

Former President Moon Jae-in is meeting with Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, at his private residence in Pyeongsan Village, Habuk-myeon, Yangsan City, Gyeongnam, on January 2, 2023. / Provided by the Democratic Party of Korea [Image source=Yonhap News]

They questioned, "If the Moon Jae-in administration and the Democratic Party are 'anti-state forces,' then are the 48% of the people who supported the Democratic Party in the last presidential election also 'anti-state forces' in President Yoon's eyes?"

They continued, "President Yoon should answer directly. If he does not respond, it means he has declared that he will lead the remaining four years as a president only for the far-right conservatives."

Politicians who served as ministers, including Lee In-young, former Minister of Unification under the Moon Jae-in administration, also held a press conference that day condemning the 'anti-state forces' remark. The press release included names such as Kim Young-joo, Kwon Chil-seung, Do Jong-hwan, Park Beom-gye, Lee Gae-ho, Lee In-young, Jeon Hae-cheol, Jin Sun-mi, Han Jeong-ae, and Hwang Hee.

They stated, "President Yoon's remarks are extremely dangerous and inappropriate, and we express strong regret," adding, "We are very concerned that he is denouncing the previous administration's efforts for sustainable peace on the Korean Peninsula and unilaterally pushing for North Korea and unification policies aligned with the far-right's perspective."

Lee In-young, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea who served as the Minister of Unification under the Moon Jae-in administration, is holding a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Office on the 29th. Photo by Lee In-young

They further questioned, "Labeling the previous administration as 'anti-state forces' for proposing a declaration to end the war is an unconstitutional act that a president of the Republic of Korea should never commit," and asked, "Are efforts for a declaration to end the war considered anti-state actions?"

They urged, "We are seriously concerned about the president's words and actions based on a left-right dichotomy and strongly call for him to become a president for all citizens beyond partisan logic."

In response, the presidential office stated that the remark was not aimed at the previous administration. A senior official from the presidential office said at the Yongsan Presidential Office building on the 29th, "(The term 'anti-state forces') was not aimed at the previous government or any specific political faction," adding, "It was a general statement."

The official explained, "The most important policies for leading the country are the economy and security," and said, "If something harms our economy, it can be seen as an anti-economic force, and if it harms security, it can be considered an anti-security force."

He continued, "If there are anti-economic and anti-security forces, wouldn't they also be anti-state forces? It is clear that there are groups that make security and economic claims or engage in activities against national interests. (President Yoon) was pointing out that part."

He added, "President Yoon's message is consistent, but the nuance of the message naturally changes slightly depending on the time, place, and occasion (TPO)," and explained, "The organization that attended yesterday was formed by people who tried to save the country from anti-security forces during the Korean War in 1954, so it is reasonable to listen considering the TPO."