Hong Jun-pyo Reacts to Han Dong-hoon's "Yoo Seung-min's Path" Comment, Yoo Seung-min Fires Back Calling Him a 'Kobakhong'-like Sycophant

Hong "If Han Dong-hoon succeeds, Yoon administration will collapse"
Ryu "Hong will be the first to stab the knife if Yoon loses power"

Hong Joon-pyo, the mayor of Daegu who has been criticizing Han Dong-hoon, a candidate for the People Power Party leadership, claimed, "Han Dong-hoon is now heading down the path of Yoo Seung-min."

On the 8th, Mayor Hong stated this on his Facebook, saying, "If that succeeds, the Yoon administration will collapse like the Park Geun-hye administration, and if it fails, Han Dong-hoon will disappear from politics forever." He added, "Will our party members, who have experienced betrayal politics, forget that and be hurt again this time?"

Hong Joon-pyo, Mayor of Daegu
Photo by Yonhap News

Upon hearing these remarks, former People Power Party lawmaker Yoo Seung-min immediately responded. On the same day, Yoo wrote on his Facebook, "Mayor Hong Joon-pyo is provoking, and I will respond as much as needed," adding, "The reason the Yoon Seok-yeol administration has fallen is because opportunists like Mayor Hong have risen to power."

[Image source=Captured from former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min's Facebook]

He also pointed out, "Regarding former President Park Geun-hye, whom he expelled from the party, Mayor Hong has repeatedly changed his words, swallowing the sweet and spitting out the bitter," and said, "When President Yoon Seok-yeol's power weakens, the first person to stab him in the back will be a sycophant like 'Kobak-Hong'." The term 'Kobak-Hong' is slang commonly used in online communities, mocking Mayor Hong for bowing so low to President Yoon that his nose almost touched him. Former lawmaker Yoo attached two photos of Mayor Hong performing a 90-degree 'folder bow' along with this post. He even drew red circles around Mayor Hong's figure in the photos.

Earlier, on the 7th, Mayor Hong also posted, "During the last general election, Han Dong-hoon ignored the party leadership and only listened to the makeshift leftists he brought along and Professor Jin Joong-kwon; it seems that was not a baseless rumor," and "Seeing Professor Jin take Han Dong-hoon's side and even intervene in the party convention, it seems that is true," criticizing both Professor Jin and candidate Han together. Mayor Hong then said, "The state of the party is a mess," and added, "It's absurd that the party has been swayed by such makeshift people since the general election. Everyone, wake up."