Kim Eun-kyung, the Innovation Committee Chair of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), who previously sparked controversy by comparing first-term lawmakers to "students during the COVID-19 period with declining academic performance," is now embroiled in an 'elderly disparagement' controversy over her remark, "Why should people with a short future vote one-to-one?" The DPK is trying to contain the situation by calling it an "excessive interpretation by the media," but voices within the party are also criticizing her, calling it a "vicious disparagement of the elderly."
On the 1st, DPK lawmaker Lee Sang-min said on SBS's 'Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show,' "Whether in politics or various fields of society, it is truly absurd whether it is ignorance or a deeply flawed perception," and pointed out, "Saying that voting rights should differ according to age or remaining lifespan is extremely unreasonable and irrational."
Earlier, at a youth roundtable held on the 30th of last month, Chair Kim quoted her child saying, "Voting should be proportional from one's age to remaining lifespan, or from the mother's age to remaining lifespan," and expressed her opinion, "Isn't that quite reasonable?" She added, "In a democratic country, 'one person, one vote' is a practical difficulty but a correct principle," and sparked controversy by saying, "Why should people with a short future vote one-to-one?" which was seen as disparaging the elderly.
The ruling party immediately criticized her as "disparaging elders and using abusive language," and there are many voices within the DPK criticizing her as well. DPK lawmaker Cho Eung-chun also said on BBS's 'Jeon Young-shin's Morning Journal,' "I really couldn't believe my ears yesterday. Is she really the person who came to innovate and help our party?" and called it a "vicious disparagement of the elderly."
The Innovation Committee and the DPK maintain that it is a "distortion and overinterpretation by the media." In a statement issued as criticism spread, the Innovation Committee said, "Chair Kim was merely introducing an idea her son had when he was in middle school to encourage youth political participation," and added, "Distorting a middle school student's idea and framing the remarks as disparaging elders is an old-fashioned, divisive tactic that views the issue politically."
DPK Supreme Council Member Jung Cheong-rae also said on KBS's 'Choi Kyung-young's Strong Current Affairs,' "Boys, be ambitious, youth should have ambition. This is to give courage to young people, to encourage a spirit of challenge and to pioneer the future," and added, "It's not right to pick a fight by saying, 'Why do you only say that to youth? Why not to elders?' as if it were only for youth."
Former DPK Supreme Council Member Lee Dong-hak also wrote on his social media, "The ruling party is in a terrible state, using low-quality politics to attack the opposition's Innovation Committee without considering context," and said, "Instead of forcing this into an elderly disparagement controversy and claiming a moral victory, please properly look at the lives of elders who are truly living a hellish life in the world's fastest aging society."
However, the controversy reminiscent of past elderly disparagement remarks by the DPK ahead of the general election is by no means a good sign for the party. On the same day, Yoon Jae-ok, floor leader of the People Power Party, pointed out at a floor meeting, "The DPK has a long history of unmentionable elderly disparagement remarks dating back to the Uri Party in 2004."
Given that Chair Kim's controversies are not the first, the credibility of the DPK Innovation Committee may also be undermined. In the past, Chair Kim sparked controversy with remarks such as "I think the money envelope incident might have been fabricated by the prosecution," and "First-term lawmakers are exactly like those first-term lawmakers during COVID-19 (like students)," and drew public outrage from the non-Myeong faction by saying to former leader Lee Nak-yeon, "It is inappropriate to try to save factions." Lawmaker Lee Sang-min also criticized, "With such perceptions and attitudes, I wonder if she can really take the lead in the role of innovating the DPK."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
