Kang Eun-mi: "Ryu Ho-jeong Uses Sophistry to Keep Seat... Elected the Most Rude Lawmaker"

As the Justice Party adopted an official resolution urging former lawmaker Geum Tae-seop and Justice Party lawmaker Ryu Ho-jeong, who declared the founding of the new party 'Saeroun Seontaek' (New Choice), to leave the party and resign from their parliamentary seats, Justice Party lawmaker Kang Eun-mi called for Ryu's resignation, saying, "She is engaging in politics in a very inappropriate manner."

On the 14th, Kang appeared on KBS Gwangju Radio 1's 'Mudeung's Morning' and said, "It makes me think, 'Did we really elect such a lawmaker as the number one proportional representative without even the minimum courtesy?' She is now making a pitiful attempt to form 'New Choice' with former lawmaker Geum Tae-seop," expressing her criticism.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The youth opinion group within the Justice Party led by Ryu, called 'Third Power,' chose to jointly establish a new party with the third-zone new party 'Saeroun Seontaek' (New Choice), but Ryu stated that she still intends to remain in the party. Regarding this, Kang pointed out, "If you are a proportional representative lawmaker, you represent that party. However, while belonging to that party, officially declaring the founding of another party is something that we cannot understand from a common-sense perspective."

She continued, "For example, even if former Democratic Party leader Lee Nak-yeon or former People Power Party leader Lee Jun-seok were to found a new party, the old party would not demand their resignation," she compared, "But even Lee Jun-seok said that if he were to found a new party, the first step would be to resign, and only after that would he proceed." She added, "In that sense, she is making too many sophistries just to maintain her seat." Since proportional representatives lose their parliamentary seats upon leaving the party, this implies that Ryu is not resigning to avoid losing her seat.

Ryu also said she has no intention of resigning from her proportional representative seat because about a quarter of party members responded positively to the third-zone new party 'Saeroun Seontaek' in a party member perception survey. However, Kang said, "The survey question did not use expressions like 'oppose' because it could offend the opposing party and might be inappropriate. But there are far more people who oppose it," adding, "This is nothing but an excuse to maintain her seat. There is no longer any value in mentioning Ryu."