Handonghun "Opposition's 200 Seats Will Attempt to Remove Freedom from Liberal Democracy"

Korea, Day 2 Also 'Judging the Opposition'
"First Time Receiving 2.2 Billion for a Single Case"
"Opposition's 200 Seats Mean They Intend to Amend the Constitution"

Handonghun, the Chief Election Strategy Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, is appealing for support along with candidates Kim Youngju and Park Yongchan at Yeongjin Market in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul on the 29th. Photo by Kim Hyunmin kimhyun81@ Photo by Kim Hyunmin kimhyun81@

"Isn't it a case of 2.2 billion KRW in preferential treatment for former officials involving Park Eun-jung's husband, Lee Jong-geun? Then what exactly is the prosecution reform that Cho Kuk talks about?"

On the morning of the 29th, Han Dong-hoon, the head of the People Power Party's general election campaign committee, posed this question to Cho Kuk, leader of the Cho Kuk Innovation Party, at Yeongjin Market Samgeori in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. He pointed out the controversy surrounding former prosecutor Lee Jong-geun, the spouse of Park Eun-jung, the number one proportional representation candidate of the Cho Kuk Innovation Party, regarding the '2.2 billion KRW preferential treatment for former officials' issue.

Han said, "Do you know how to earn 2.2 billion KRW in just a few days?" and added, "If you want to carry out prosecution reform with the Cho Kuk Innovation Party, you can do it like candidate Park and her husband, who are number one on the proportional representation list." He then raised the intensity of his criticism by saying, "I have been involved in law enforcement for a very long time, but this is the first time I have seen someone receive 2.2 billion KRW for a single criminal case."

At Bugok Market in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, which he visited later, he said, "Since I asked for an answer today, Representative Cho just released a statement a little while ago," and added, "He says it's okay because he is working for the person who entrusted the case, but is that really okay?" He continued, "Former Prosecutor Lee committed an absurd level of preferential treatment for former officials, but Representative Cho says they signed a contract for the case," emphasizing, "The world Representative Cho wants is such a world. Is it a world where you commit a crime, pay 2.2 billion KRW in damages, and get away with it?"

Representative Cho met with reporters at the National Assembly that day and said, "It does not seem that they particularly benefited from the Yoon Seok-youl prosecution system, as reported by the media." He added, "As far as I know, all the contracts for the cases were signed," and said, "Please look at the statements from the two people. I think more detailed information will come out in the future," defending them.

Han also mentioned candidates from the Democratic Party such as Yang Moon-seok, Gong Young-woon, Kim Ki-pyo, and Moon Jin-seok, raising issues of morality. This is interpreted as an attempt to secure moral superiority by comparing these Democratic Party candidates with People Power Party candidates amid recent allegations against the former.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Unlike the first day of official election campaigning the previous day, new expressions also appeared. Han said, "Let's assume that the opposition bloc, as Representative Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party or Representative Cho say, has exceeded 200 seats," and added, "Do you think the regime will be overturned and impeached? No, what these people want to do is constitutional amendment."

He then raised his voice, saying, "200 seats mean they can change the constitution," and "They will dare to remove freedom from the essence of the Republic of Korea's constitution, which is liberal democracy." He expressed a sense of crisis that if the Democratic Party, Cho Kuk Innovation Party, and other opposition parties achieve a landslide victory and secure 200 seats in this general election, constitutional amendment would also be possible.

Han encouraged voting by asking people to vote based solely on the word 'People' in both constituency and proportional representation elections. He repeatedly requested, "From this election, multiple vote counting will be conducted simultaneously. Whether early voting or the main voting, please go out and vote no matter what. Trust me. I will manage it well."

On that day, Han visited Yeongjin Market in Yeongdeungpo-gu and Seongdae Market in Dongjak-gu in the morning, and in the afternoon, he conducted election campaigns at a total of 10 locations including Uiwang, Anyang, Pyeongtaek, and Suwon in Gyeonggi Province. On the 30th, he plans to visit constituencies in Gyeonggi, Incheon, and Seoul to launch an all-out campaign in the metropolitan area.