Won Hee-ryong: "Han Dong-hoon's Debate Style, First Time Experiencing in 25 Years of Political Career"

Claiming to be absolutely right while portraying the First Lady as the villain

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Regarding the sharp exchange of insults between People Power Party leadership candidates Won Hee-ryong and Han Dong-hoon during the TV debate on the 11th, Won described Han as having a "style I've never experienced in my 25 years of political career."

On the 15th, on KBS Radio's 'Jeonggyeok Sisa,' Won commented on the TV debate with Han, saying, "Since he couldn't even minimally present his arguments in a short time, he tried to suppress me verbally," adding, "Party members and viewers couldn't help but feel annoyed." Won mentioned that, as Han is his university senior by 10 years and political senior by 25 years, he entered the debate with a mindset of conceding, but his supporters questioned why he was so restrained in a debate, which is supposed to be a place for fighting. He continued, "It's a style I've never encountered in my 25 years of political career," and added, "He kept interrupting and chattering beside me while I was speaking."

Won refuted the expression "the tide has turned" and "Anyway, the party leader will be Han Dong-hoon." He said, "Due to controversies like the text message issue with First Lady Kim Keon-hee and the verification process appearing as harsh personal attacks or verbal fights, party members frowned." He emphasized that even though the investigation into the Chae Sang-byeong case resulted in no charges, Han's call for a special prosecutor was a trap set by the opposition. Won stated, "If a special prosecutor is appointed, no one will have the power to stop indiscriminate searches targeting the president," and stressed, "If the Democratic Party applies pressure, it could lead to an impeachment situation like in the past."

Won also criticized Han for not responding to First Lady Kim's text messages. He said, "It's a public issue, and (Han) is also a party member," adding, "He should have cleared up misunderstandings and apologized to ease the anger of his support base. He seems to insist he is absolutely right while trying to make the president or the first lady the villain."

Furthermore, regarding Han's characterization of the text message controversy as a private channel, private matter, party affairs interference, and state manipulation, Won said, "He needs to correct it as a slip of the tongue to restore trust." He added, "The basics of politics are empathy," and questioned, "If he refuses to answer anything other than public and formal matters, who would want to trust and consult Han on national, party, or political issues?"