Allegations Against Comment Team and Requests for Dismissal Exposed Amid Fierce Struggle
Cho Kuk: "Ruling Party Primary, a Crime Confession and Illegal Exposure Rally"
Accusations and revelations among the People Power Party's leadership candidates are escalating beyond simple verification to suspicions that could lead to judicial risks. Critics point out that the ruling party's leadership election is deteriorating into a 'you die, I die' battle, providing the opposition with opportunities to launch attacks.
Candidate Won Hee-ryong, after attending a regular seminar of Saemijun, an external pro-Yoon Seok-yeol faction group, held at the Air Force Hotel in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, said to reporters, "Candidate Han (Han Dong-hoon) insists 'I am absolutely right' and attacks and retaliates against those who point out the issues. I don't know if this is a story that came out naturally or if it is an attempt to drag me down this time. There is no sense of comradeship," continuing his offensive.
Earlier, Candidate Han had revealed during a CBS-hosted broadcast debate the previous morning that Candidate Na had requested the cancellation of the indictment related to the fast-track process during his tenure as Minister of Justice. Candidate Na is currently on trial for allegedly obstructing the National Assembly's fast-track process in 2019 by occupying the National Assembly's legislative affairs office and meeting rooms while serving as the floor leader of the Liberty Korea Party (the predecessor of the People Power Party).
After the Saemijun seminar, Candidate Na told reporters, "Isn't Candidate Han acting recklessly? It seems he lacks discernment between what should and should not be said," adding, "This is a case where the Moon Jae-in administration retaliated with prosecution against the opposition. Seeing him mention this shows a serious lack of discernment."
On the other hand, Candidate Han maintains that the allegations raised by Candidate Won regarding Han's family's involvement in proportional representation nominations and the 'comment team' are baseless attacks, but his own revelation about Candidate Na's request to cancel the indictment is thoroughly fact-based. After a joint speech event in Seoul, Incheon, Gyeonggi, and Gangwon the previous day, Han told reporters, "When others talk about me, it's verification, but when I talk, it's internal sabotage? List my negatives. I have only been passively defensive. Have I ever actively raised issues against the opponent's negatives? This is outright hypocrisy," he rebutted.
Handonghun (from left), Nakyeongwon, Yunsanghyeon, and Won Heeryong, candidates for the People Power Party leadership, raise their hands to greet at the 4th Party Convention and the joint speech meeting for Seoul, Incheon, Gyeonggi, and Gangwon held on the 17th at Goyang Sono Arena in Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@
From Candidate Won's allegations about Han Dong-hoon's operation of a comment team to Candidate Han's revelation about Candidate Na's request to cancel the fast-track indictment, issues that could lead to judicial risks have been repeatedly mentioned, and warnings from the party leadership and the election commission have not been effective. Floor leader Choo Kyung-ho warned on the 11th, "At least during the remaining period of the leadership election, the criticism of it being a 'self-destructive leadership election' must disappear." The party's election commission also sent official letters of caution and corrective orders to candidates Han Dong-hoon and Won Hee-ryong.
The opposition is gearing up with statements like "We will prepare a special investigation law for Han Dong-hoon" and "Candidate Na should also be investigated." Jo Guk, leader of the Innovation Party, who proposed the Han Dong-hoon special investigation law, held a press conference at the National Assembly communication office, urging investigation into the "People Power Party's revelations and confessions," saying, "The current People Power Party leadership election seems like a 'confession show' of a criminal group," and called for prosecution investigations into the allegations of Han and Kim Gun-hee's comment team operation and Candidate Na's request to cancel the fast-track indictment.
Jo particularly emphasized to the prosecution, "The key figures who know the matters best are exposing each other's crimes," adding, "They are speaking confessions without hesitation. There is sufficient reason to recognize this as a case and launch an investigation."
Park Chan-dae, acting leader and floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, also stated at a policy coordination meeting held at the National Assembly that day, "The People Power Party leadership election has become an illegal revelation contest," and insisted, "The substantive truth must be clarified through investigation, and if illegality is revealed, strict judicial action must be taken."
Candidates running for the party leadership election, including Jo Guk, the candidate for the leader of the Jo Guk Innovation Party, are holding a press conference on the 18th at the National Assembly, urging an investigation into the People Power Party's leadership election disclosures and confessions. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
