In Yohan, the Innovation Committee Chairman, referred to former People Power Party leader Lee Jun-seok as 'Junseok-i' during a lecture for party members and said, "He has no morals; it’s not Lee’s fault but his parents’ fault." In response, Lee raised his voice, asking, "Where did you learn that?"
On the 27th, Lee said on SBS's 'Kim Taehyun's Political Show', "At the age of forty, having served as party leader, to be called 'Junseok' at a party event?I don’t know where that kind of behavior was learned from."
Chairman In reportedly said at a People Power Party youth and member innovation training event held the previous day in Taean-gun, Chungnam, "Through Korea’s ondol floor culture and the warm spot education, one learns knowledge, wisdom, and morals, but Junseok-i has no morals," adding, "It’s not Junseok-i’s fault but largely his parents’ fault." In response, Lee retorted, "Is insulting parents innovation?" The term 'paedeurip' is a compound of 'paeryun' (immorality) and 'drip' (slang for joke), referring to offensive remarks targeting parents or family.
Lee raised his voice, saying, "During my 12 years in politics, I have had many opponents in debates and many sharp conversations involving parents for various reasons, but I have never seen anyone insult others by bringing their parents into it," adding, "In my 12 years, I have never experienced it myself, nor have I actually seen others do it."
He criticized, "For Chairman In to drag my mother and father into insulting me means that Chairman In Yohan needs to overcome something. Sometimes he says he does this because he understands Korean sentiment too well as a Korean. I don’t know how he will express this now, but as far as I know, among the cultures connected to Chairman In Yohan, even in Korea and narrowing down to places like Suncheon where I have lived, this kind of culture does not exist."
Regarding the 'character' controversy directed at Lee, he said, "That’s just turning into a generational conflict if you go that way," adding, "Politics is a place where each person’s political views are coldly contested, and I don’t know what the point is of bringing up character and such."
He said, "People criticized me for speaking in English, but what I said in English was this: The first sentence was, 'Mr. Linton, your family is from a very respected lineage. I am grateful for everything your family has done in Korea.' I began my remarks with respect for Chairman In Yohan’s family. But this is not right. Why on earth are my father and mother being brought up?" He was referring to the earlier incident where Lee expressed refusal to meet Chairman In in English, which sparked a racial discrimination controversy.
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