SBS 'Kim Taehyun's Political Show' Interview
"Tears Surreal? A Natural Occurrence"
Former Emergency Committee Chairperson of the Democratic Party, Park Ji-hyun, regarding her plan to run in the general election, stated, "It is natural for a politician to contemplate running," and added, "I am still considering it."
On the 13th, Park appeared on SBS Radio's 'Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show' and said, "I think I will be able to speak more clearly after Chuseok."
Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is talking with former co-chairman Park Ji-hyun at the hunger strike tent in front of the National Assembly main building on the 11th. 2023.9.11 [Photo by Yonhap News]
About showing tears when visiting Representative Lee Jae-myung, who is on a hunger strike, she said, "I just cried as soon as I saw him," and added, "Even if there are some differences in opinion, I thought it was the minimum courtesy to someone walking the same path, so I visited out of concern, but seeing him so emaciated right in front of me made me choke up."
During her tenure as Emergency Committee Chairperson last June, Park nominated Lee as the candidate for the Incheon Gyeyang-eul by-election for the National Assembly, but later they stood at odds, with Park revealing that "Lee demanded the nomination for Gyeyang-eul."
Also, when Lee ran for party leader in August of the same year, Park expressed the position that he should not run. Within the party, there were negative voices about Park, who had been critical of Lee, showing tears at the hunger strike site.
Regarding this, Park said, "Putting aside political positions, it is natural to shed tears when seeing someone on a hunger strike right in front of you," and countered, "Calling this 'surreal' is actually more surreal."
She continued, "Some say my attitude has changed, but my ideology or thoughts have not changed," and explained, "Given the current situation with the Yoon Seok-yeol government, I am afraid that the People Power Party will secure a majority in the next general election, and from that perspective, I felt a complex thought that I should fight alongside Representative Lee."
Regarding criticism that Lee's hunger strike lacks justification, she said, "The ruling party says that whatever Lee does is to avoid prosecution by the prosecution, but the trigger seemed to be the controversy over the removal of General Hong Beom-do's statue. There must have been a point where it could no longer continue," and added, "I wonder how desperate one must be to continue a hunger strike to the point where organs begin to fail."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
