"Did I Recommend You as Floor Leader?"...An Angry Bae Hyun-jin Releases Phone Call with Lee Cheol-gyu

"Bad Habit of Turning Lies into Facts Must Be Fixed"
Expressing Displeasure at Lee Cheol-gyu's Interview

On the 8th, Bae Hyun-jin, a member of the People Power Party, stated, "I categorically deny ever recommending Lee Cheol-gyu, former Secretary-General, to run for floor leader, whether by phone or in person," and released a recording of a phone call with fellow party member Lee Cheol-gyu.

Baek Hyun-jin, elected member of the People Power Party for Songpa-eul.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

On the same day, Bae posted on her social media, "After experiencing several contradictory situations like today with Lee Cheol-gyu, I was fed up. On the afternoon of April 26, when I received a call from Lee Cheol-gyu regarding 'consultation about running for floor leader,' I instinctively pressed the record button midway through the call." She added, "When I firmly told him, 'Do not run,' he started rambling, saying things like 'Our (pro-Yoon faction) shouldn't hand it over,' which made me think, 'Here comes another lie again.'"

Furthermore, Bae clarified, "To be clear, many elected officials, either directly or indirectly, expressed concerns and urged caution about Lee Cheol-gyu's candidacy, just as I did." She claimed, "The call took place around 5 p.m. on April 26, and the next day, on the 27th, Dong-A Ilbo published an exclusive interview article revealing Lee Cheol-gyu's intention to run for floor leader." She continued, "I reluctantly disclosed this and posted a 'call to withdraw' on Facebook on April 30 because I could no longer stand it. When cornered, he has a bad habit of spouting a thousand excuses, turning lies into facts, and devastating his colleagues. I hope he corrects this now. Is it too much to ask for some senior lawmaker dignity?"

The reason Rep. Bae disclosed the phone conversation was that earlier that morning, Rep. Lee claimed on SBS Radio that there were people who privately encouraged him to run for floor leader while publicly opposing it.
[Photo by Bae Hyunjin Facebook]

Bae released the call recording after Lee claimed on SBS Radio that some people privately encouraged him to run for floor leader while publicly opposing it. Lee said, "Some people asked me to take on the role and be the villain. But when they go out and speak as if a third party or someone else is talking, it is quite bewildering."

In response, Bae said, "Lee Cheol-gyu, this must be really hard for you. Despite enduring so much and taking the blame multiple times, you show no remorse, so I don't know what to do." She drew a clear line, saying, "The claim that I encouraged Lee Cheol-gyu to run for floor leader by phone but said otherwise on Facebook is false. Absolutely not." Additionally, Bae criticized, "Lee Cheol-gyu is a veteran intelligence detective. He knows better than anyone how ambiguous answers like that can cause misunderstandings and generate news articles. Was he dreaming of a revenge attack against everyone, including me, who opposed his candidacy?"