Kukim "Forced Shamanism Frame"
Minju "Is the President's Residence Decided by a Feng Shui Expert?"
On the 22nd, the ruling and opposition parties engaged in a fierce dispute over claims that a shaman was involved in the selection process of the presidential residence last year.
Regarding Baek Jae-kwon, an adjunct professor at Cyber Hankuk University of Foreign Studies who is suspected of intervening in the presidential residence relocation, Kang Min-guk, chief spokesperson of the People Power Party, stated in a commentary on the 22nd, "Professor Baek is the top authority in the field of Pungsu (Feng Shui) studies," adding, "The Blue House relocation task force consulted Professor Baek's Pungsu views for reference, but the final residence selection was made after comprehensively considering security, defense, and costs, and in fact, a decision different from Professor Baek's opinion was made."
He particularly criticized, "The Democratic Party has been spreading baseless fake news claiming that a fortune teller was deeply involved in the presidential residence selection process, desperately trying to frame the president and first lady with shamanism."
"However, when it was revealed that the person who visited the official residence was Professor Baek, a Pungsu expert, they immediately changed their stance and started criticizing again," he said, adding, "Their behavior of changing their words as soon as the truth comes out is very shabby."
He also pointed out that former President Moon Jae-in's wife Kim Jung-sook and Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung and his wife had met with Professor Baek in the past, questioning, "According to the Democratic Party's logic, does this mean that candidate Lee Jae-myung discussed his presidential campaign strategy with nothing more than a Pungsu expert?"
He continued, "The Democratic Party keeps making absurd claims trying to forcibly link a Pungsu expert to a 'shamanism frame,'" and said, "We cannot help but express strong regret over the Democratic Party's low-level attempt to sell fake news no matter what."
According to reports from the previous day, the Cyber Crime Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, which has been investigating the suspicion of fortune teller Cheongong's involvement in the residence selection, found evidence that it was Professor Baek, not Cheongong, who visited the official residence.
In response, Kwon Chil-seung, chief spokesperson of the Democratic Party, criticized in a commentary the previous day, saying, "A Pungsu expert deciding the presidential residence? Is this the Joseon Dynasty?" Kwon said, "Is it acceptable to receive advice on the residence relocation from a Pungsu expert with master's and doctoral degrees when Cheongong is not allowed?" and added, "The presidential office's behavior of hiding Mr. Baek and denying Cheongong's visit can only be seen as an insult to the people."
Regarding Professor Baek, he described him as "an adjunct professor in name only, a physiognomy and Pungsu expert who became famous for predicting President Yoon Seok-youl's election," and demanded that the presidential office clarify under what authority Mr. Baek was allowed to inspect the presidential residence site and whose orders led to Mr. Baek's inspection accompanied by the head of the security office.
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