Yoon Jae-ok Urges Resignation, Saying "Kim Eun-kyung's Slip of the Tongue Is Killing the Democratic Party"

Moon Administration Criticized for 'Albakgi Personnel Moves'
"If Humiliating, Must Step Down from Position"

Yoon Jae-ok, the floor leader of the People Power Party, urged Kim Eun-kyung, the Innovation Committee Chair of the Democratic Party of Korea who sparked controversy over 'elderly disparagement,' to resign, saying she is "actually killing the Democratic Party."

At the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the morning of the 3rd, Yoon said, "Rather than reviving the Democratic Party through innovation, Chair Kim is killing the party with a series of gaffes and outrageous remarks," adding, "Her resignation seems inevitable." On the same day, the People Power Party changed the background of the Supreme Council meeting to 'Democratic Party Innovation = Modern-day Goryeojang.'

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Yoon then sharpened his criticism toward Chair Kim's recent harsh attacks on President Yoon Suk-yeol.

Earlier, on the 1st, at a 'Dialogue with Incheon Citizens' held at the Democratic Party's Incheon City Office, Chair Kim said, "(During my tenure as Vice Chairman of the Financial Supervisory Service) it was so embarrassing to be governed under Yoon Suk-yeol. I felt anger. I was appointed as Vice Chairman under President Moon Jae-in but finishing my term under Yoon Suk-yeol was extremely humiliating."

In response, Yoon said, "If it was that humiliating, it would have been honorable to resign midway, but she shamelessly collected an annual salary of 300 million won. What kind of shameless nonsense is this?" He pointed out, "The problem is that this hypocritical and contradictory sense of humiliation may be a common mindset not only for Chair Kim but also for the Moon administration's holdover appointees."

He continued, "The most important responsibility of those leading national and public institutions is to assist the government's administration and create maximum welfare for the people," adding, "Yet, without any intention to help govern, they obstruct at every turn while clinging to money and status. This behavior causes enormous harm to the people and the nation and is literally disgraceful."

He said, "If any of those identified as holdover appointees currently feel humiliated, they should find the reason in their own hypocrisy. And if they have no intention to help the government, I recommend they step down cleanly and be freed from that humiliation."

After the meeting, during a Q&A session with reporters, Yoon also criticized Chair Kim's remark that "As a professor, she was immature and did not understand political language." He said, "Whether one knows political language or not, and saying it was because she is a professor is quite inappropriate," adding, "The general public expects sincere reflection, apology, and responsible actions, but every word she utters only continues to offend the people."

When asked whether a direct apology from Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party leader, is necessary regarding the Kim controversy, Yoon replied, "I do not know what Lee thinks, but I believe he should take this matter seriously and take appropriate measures."