Won Hee-ryong "Kim Jin-pyo's Memoir, a Personal Atrocity... Lee Jae-myung-style Politician"

Won Hee-ryong, the People Power Party's presidential candidate, strongly criticized the content in former National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo's memoir, which mentioned President Yoon Seok-yeol referring to the 'possibility of the Itaewon disaster being fabricated,' calling it "political immorality and human immorality."

On the 30th, Won met with reporters at the National Assembly and said, "Former Speaker Kim is nothing more than a Lee Jae-myung-style politician. I completely withdraw any slight favor and respect I had for him until now."

He continued, "There is no need to discuss the factual accuracy of the memoir; this is political immaturity," and criticized, "Why should we verify facts about immorality?"

Won Hee-ryong, People Power Party presidential candidate for party leader
Photo by Yonhap News

Regarding Han Dong-hoon, a candidate for party leadership, Won evaluated him as a candidate lacking three things: communication, trust, and experience.

Won said, "I want to ask whether he discussed the future with the president during the 70 days from the end of the general election to his declaration of candidacy," adding, "I was shocked to learn that even during his time as emergency committee chairman, there was not a single communication with the president. Party members should know that the trust relationship between Candidate Han and the president that we thought existed is not true."

He further argued, "Lack of experience can be seen in the 'Special Prosecutor Act for Chae Sang-byeong.' Is he suggesting we ride along with what the Democratic Party is pushing? Even if we propose a compromise, the Democratic Party will not accept it. We must not get entangled in the survival conspiracy of Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party leader, and Cho Guk, the leader of the Cho Guk Innovation Party."

Additionally, regarding his party switch to the Bareun Party during the impeachment crisis of former President Park Geun-hye, he said, "At that time, the overwhelming public opinion was for impeachment, and I thought supporting it would be the way for our party to survive," adding, "Having experienced it, we must never go down that path again."