The Identity of the 'Sonamudang Pledge' That Stirred Netizens... Whose Words Were Gathered?

Song Young-gil Sonamudang, Pledge Post Sparks Debate
Candidate Byeon Hee-jae's Extreme Remarks Edited
"Interesting" vs "Low Level" Controversy

Former Democratic Party leader Song Young-gil's prison-founded Sonamu Party's general election pledges have been spreading online. Among them are problematic statements such as "I will remove Han Dong-hoon, the emergency committee chairman of the People Power Party's wig" and "I will execute President Yoon Seok-yeol," sparking heated debates among netizens.

[Image source=Online community capture]

On the 27th, a post titled "Sonamu Party's Shocking Pledges" was shared on multiple online communities, featuring the Sonamu Party logo along with pledges including ▲exhumation of pro-Japanese collaborators' graves ▲revival of law schools and judicial exams ▲abolition of Seoul National University and consolidation of national and public universities ▲regulation of portal sites and YouTuber power ▲comprehensive media reform ▲abolition of special activity funds for prosecutors and legislation of neutrality obligations.

These are not official pledges of the Sonamu Party but are said to be a patchwork of statements made by Byeon Hee-jae, the representative of Media Watch and candidate number 2 on the proportional representation list. Through his YouTube channel, Byeon pledged to "force President Yoon to resign early within a year," using extreme expressions such as "execution," which caused controversy. This is interpreted as an attempt to attract votes through a regime judgment narrative. The post also included content stating "After publicly proving President Yoon Seok-yeol's crimes in the National Assembly, force him to resign and end the regime."

The post is being used as a "meme" by some netizens supporting third-party political groups. There have been instances of combining popular online phrases with photos of Sonamu Party candidates. They showed positive reactions such as "Among the nonsense, there are some decent pledges," "I hope other parties also exhume pro-Japanese collaborators' graves," and "I sincerely hope these are realized."

However, many netizens responded with disbelief, saying, "Laughing and enjoying these pledges led to the creation of Heo Kyung-young," "It feels like watching a comedy segment," "The level of politics has declined," and "Are members of the National Assembly joking?"

Founded in prison by former leader Song Young-gil, who was indicted and detained last December on suspicion of distributing cash envelopes, the Sonamu Party claims to be a party encompassing rational conservative forces and moderate progressive forces. Former Democratic Party lawmaker Sohn Hye-won, former Korean Medical Association president Choi Dae-jip, and lawyer Jung Cheol-seung have also run as candidates.