About three weeks before the April 10 general election, the People Power Party candidates in the Seoul metropolitan area have been voicing concerns daily over the controversy surrounding former Minister of National Defense Lee Jong-seop's appointment as ambassador to Australia and the “kitchen knife remark” made by Hwang Sang-moo, the Presidential Office's Senior Secretary for Civil Society.
Lee Hye-hoon, the People Power Party candidate for Jung-Seongdong in Seoul and former lawmaker, appeared on YTN Radio's “News King with Park Ji-hoon” on the 18th and said, “Han Dong-hoon, the emergency committee chairman of the People Power Party, said the previous evening that Ambassador Lee Jong-seop to Australia would promptly respond if summoned by the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Agency, and that Senior Secretary Hwang Sang-moo should quickly decide on his position. It seems many people sympathize with this.” Lee interpreted the background of Chairman Han's remarks by saying, “I think he spoke because it was having a very negative impact on the general election,” adding, “There is no bigger negative issue in this election. I really think this is a problem.”
However, regarding the possibility that Chairman Han's remarks could escalate into a second party-government conflict, Lee said, “That could happen, so since Ambassador Lee clearly stated himself that he was coordinating the timing of the investigation with the Corruption Investigation Office, I think it is best to first clarify and stop malicious reports.” He added, “They need to explain first that the person who is already coordinating the investigation timing is being framed maliciously as if he is fleeing with ill intent.”
Yoon Hee-sook, the People Power Party candidate for Jung-Seongdong Gap in Seoul and former lawmaker, said in an interview with KBS Radio's “Jeon Jong-cheol's Jeonggyeok Sisa” on the same day, “From the perspective of those working on the ground, Chairman Han's remarks the day before were very much appreciated.” Yoon said, “When meeting supporters on the ground, they also ask, ‘What happened with the ambassador to Australia?’ and feel anxious,” adding, “Seeing that was very unfortunate, but Chairman Han formally raised the issue.”
She continued, “In elections, if you ignore public sentiment and just raise your head saying, ‘You have no choice but to love me anyway,’ I think that is a guaranteed loss. Seeing that Chairman Han understands the seriousness and raised the issue, I think our supporters will feel grateful and relieved. I think those in the moderate camp will think that there is an attempt to respond to public sentiment, so that is fortunate.”
Lee Yong, the People Power Party candidate for Hanam Gap in Gyeonggi Province and a key figure in the pro-Yoon faction, also appeared on SBS Radio's “Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show” on the same day and interpreted Chairman Han's remarks the day before as “showing how desperate they are about the general election.” Lee said, “In the general election phase, especially in the metropolitan area, you can see how support rates fluctuate immediately with even a small mistake,” adding, “The urgency of Chairman Han is because if we win the general election, the policies and reforms promoted by the Yoon Seok-yeol administration will begin to take shape, but if we lose, that will be meaningless. I think he spoke with the intention of being alert to every detail.”
Regarding the possibility of a second party-government conflict, he said, “Absolutely not,” drawing a clear line, “Chairman Han also thinks this is one way to support the Yoon Seok-yeol administration.”
When asked whether the Presidential Office should immediately recall Ambassador Lee Jong-seop from Australia, he said, “I think the ambassador will either undergo investigation or quickly return to express his position.” Regarding the controversy over Senior Secretary Hwang Sang-moo, he said, “Senior Secretary Hwang has apologized sufficiently, and if the public directly accepts that apology, the issue will be resolved here. But if the issue continues and the public does not accept it, I think he should decide on his own position.”
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