Kim In-gyu Continues Public Criticism Toward Hong Jun-pyo
Hong Jun-pyo: "It's Not Just Once or Twice, So It's Not Surprising"
Kim In-gyu, former administrative officer of the presidential office and grandson of former President Kim Young-sam, has publicly criticized Hong Joon-pyo, the mayor of Daegu. In response, Mayor Hong stated, "He doesn't resemble his grandfather."
(From left) Hong Joon-pyo, Mayor of Daegu; Kim In-gyu, former presidential secretary and grandson of former President Kim Young-sam. [Photo by Yonhap News]
On the 13th, a question was posted on 'Youth's Dream,' an online political platform created by Mayor Hong, asking if he had seen Kim In-gyu's critical post. Earlier, on the 10th, Kim In-gyu criticized through his social media, saying, "The words of the former senior advisor of the People Power Party (Hong Joon-pyo) are becoming increasingly absurd," adding, "If you truly care about the party, your role as an elder who has protected the party for 30 years is to provide solutions on how the People Power Party can regain the support of the 2030 generation and nurture young politicians within the party. The party is currently in turmoil, so is it appropriate for a senior member who pays 500,000 won monthly in party dues to plot division and cause rifts?"
Hong Joon-pyo, Mayor of Daegu, answered questions on the online political platform 'Cheongnyeon-ui Kkum' (Youth's Dream). [Photo by Online Community]
In response to the question, Mayor Hong said, "It's not the first time he has criticized me, so why make a fuss now?" and added, "He doesn't resemble his grandfather." This is presumed to refer to Kim In-gyu's criticism of Mayor Hong back in 2021.
At that time, Mayor Hong stated, "Not long ago, factional conflicts ruined both the party and the country, yet some members are forming new factions and collectively shaking the party leader, which is hard to understand no matter how much you try to concede," and added, "It is truly pitiful to see some members degrade themselves to factional henchmen. Considering the aftermath of the primaries, such lemming-like politics is very dangerous." In response, Kim In-gyu criticized Mayor Hong, mentioning his nickname 'Hourglass' earned during his prosecutor days, saying, "The person who was criticized for 'line-up nominations' during the party's worst local election defeat in history (the 7th local elections in 2018) is now disparaging those who unite in hope of regime change as 'lemmings' and 'cuckoo chicks,' inciting division within the party."
Meanwhile, when asked, "You have faced former Presidents Roh Moo-hyun and Moon Jae-in; what is the difference between the two former Democratic Party presidents?" Mayor Hong replied, "President Roh Moo-hyun was an honest and straightforward person." He did not comment on former President Moon Jae-in.
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