Yoon Sang-hyun on Opposition's 'Yoon Chuseok Gift Refusal' Certification: "An Exaggeration That Insults the Other Party"

Opposition Party Consistently Responds to Cooperation Messages with Confrontation and Discord

Yoon Sang-hyun, Member of the People Power Party. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Regarding some opposition party lawmakers, including those from the Democratic Party of Korea, repeatedly rejecting the Chuseok gifts sent by President Yoon Suk-yeol, Yoon Sang-hyun, a lawmaker from the People Power Party, criticized, saying, "There is no need for the fuss of insulting the other party through rejection and return certification."

On the 5th, Yoon posted on Facebook, "It seems that a National Assembly focused on people’s livelihood and cooperation is far from realization," adding, "The public is growing weary of the opposition party’s message, which consistently sticks to confrontation and discord instead of showing warmth toward the people and a commitment to cooperation for their livelihood."

Earlier, some lawmakers from the Party for National Innovation and the Democratic Party of Korea posted certification shots on social media, showing that they had rejected the Chuseok gifts sent by President Yoon.

In response, Lawmaker Yoon pointed out that some lawmakers posting certification shots and messages about returning unwanted gifts is being criticized for using even the president’s customary holiday gifts as tools for political strife and only considering their supporters’ reactions. He added, "There is no need for the fuss of insulting the other party through rejection and return certification, especially when they say not to send gifts but they still do."

Yoon said, "Even though times are difficult and challenging, our beautiful tradition has been to generously share hearts and goodwill during the Chuseok holiday," adding, "If the gift from the giver is uncomfortable or excessively expensive and burdensome, it is customary to politely decline by saying, ‘Thank you. I will gratefully accept your kind thoughts only.’"

Yoon cited the example of when Kim Jong-il, the National Defense Commission Chairman, sent pine mushrooms as a Chuseok gift in 2000. When President Kim Dae-jung distributed gifts to lawmakers from both ruling and opposition parties, some conservative party lawmakers were not very pleased but did not rudely refuse them. He said, "Neither President Moon Jae-in nor President Roh Moo-hyun ever used holiday gifts as tools for political strife or criticized and returned them."

He continued, "I don’t know whether it is a problem of organizations that feel they must go that far to survive or an issue of individual character, but as lawmakers, they should focus on cooperation and communication?the essence of politics?looking at the entire nation, not just their hardline supporters," emphasizing, "That is the duty of a lawmaker."

Photo by Kim Junhyung, Facebook of Jo Guk Innovation Party member

Meanwhile, on the 4th, Kim Jun-hyung, a lawmaker from the Party for National Innovation, posted on Facebook titled "Returning the Fire President’s Chuseok Gift," saying, "An unwelcome gift just arrived at my office." He criticized the presidential office, saying, "I clearly said ‘Do not send gifts’ and ‘I will not accept them,’ but as expected, they act like a lone wolf." On the same day, Lee Sung-yoon, a Democratic Party lawmaker, also posted on his Facebook that he publicly rejects the presidential office’s gift. He said, "A delivery came from Yoon Suk-yeol and Kim Geon-hee at the Yongsan Presidential Office," adding, "I don’t want to receive it, so why do they keep sending it unilaterally like a stalker?"

Earlier in May, some lawmakers from the Party for National Innovation and the Democratic Party also rejected the congratulatory orchids sent by President Yoon to the 22nd National Assembly members. At that time, Cho Guk, leader of the Party for National Innovation, posted a photo of the congratulatory orchids sent by President Yoon on his SNS, saying, "I politely decline the congratulatory orchids from a president who unprecedentedly abuses the veto power for personal gain." Kim Jun-hyung, also from the Party for National Innovation, wrote, "I discard the Fire President’s orchids. The orchids are innocent, but the president’s lack of communication is guilty," adding, "Please send them again when you are ready to care for people’s livelihood and cooperate with the opposition. I will gladly accept them." Democratic Party lawmaker Choi Min-hee also publicly posted a photo with the message, "Since you put them out, take them back." Another lawmaker from the same party, Kim Won-i, expressed refusal, saying, "I don’t really want to be congratulated. I will politely decline and return them."