Controversy Over 'Read and Ignored' That Became a Black Hole in the People Power Party Presidential Election
Park Ji-won: "Conflict Between 'Kim Han' Not 'Yoon Han'"
Park Soo-hyun: "Emotional Rift Deepening"
The ‘Kim Geon-hee text message controversy’ has rapidly emerged as the biggest issue in the People Power Party’s July 23 leadership election. The opposition is intensifying its attacks, calling it ‘state affairs manipulation’ and pressuring for a special investigation into Kim Geon-hee.
President Yoon Suk-yeol and First Lady Kim Keon-hee, on a state visit to Uzbekistan, arrived at Tashkent International Airport, Uzbekistan, on the 13th of last month (local time). They are seen receiving bouquets as they disembark from Air Force One, their official aircraft. [Image source=Yonhap News]
On the 8th, Park Ji-won, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, said in an interview with SBS’s ‘Kim Tae-hyun’s Political Show,’ “There are reports and rumors that Kim Geon-hee sent many text messages not only to former emergency committee chairman Han Dong-hoon but also to ministers,” adding, “If that is revealed, it will be considered state affairs manipulation.” Park said, “It’s like crossing the Rubicon completely, and division has begun,” and “Whether former chairman Han becomes party leader or fails, the pro-Yoon (pro-Yoon Seok-yeol) and anti-Yoon factions will be split.”
Park, who described the People Power Party as a ‘broken family,’ said, “It’s already broken to the point where even a so-called second round of voting is coming out,” and “Former chairman Han holds public sentiment and has the highest support within the party, so if three candidates run and split the votes, no one will get a majority in the first round. Later, in the runoff, they plan to unite to defeat former chairman Han.”
He added, “Right now, this (leadership election itself) is not a fight between President Yoon Seok-yeol and former chairman Han, but a fight between Mrs. Kim and former chairman Han,” and “Strictly speaking, it’s a ‘Kim-Han’ conflict. We have to see who ends up losing.” Park emphasized, “We need to see the essence. Even now, if Mrs. Kim apologizes, accepts a special investigation, and reveals the truth, it would be fine,” and warned, “If this broken family keeps fighting, how do you think the public will perceive it?”
On the same day, Park Soo-hyun, a Democratic Party lawmaker, appeared on CBS’s ‘Kim Hyun-jung’s News Show’ and, when asked by the host who and with what intention leaked the controversial texts, said, “Objectively and reasonably, it seems unlikely that candidate Han’s side leaked them, and the general consensus is that it is much more likely that Mrs. Kim’s side leaked them,” adding, “That shows how deeply the emotional rift has grown.”
Park said, “This issue (the text message scandal) involves exchanges between the two parties, and since their claims differ, the truth will likely not be revealed, but the internal party conflict energy has already accumulated sufficiently,” and analyzed, “Ultimately, the conflict between pro-Yoon and anti-Yoon factions, as well as the presidential office’s interference in party affairs or political party involvement, are being revealed as the core issues.”
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
