Kim Jong-hyuk: "Yoon Should Apologize to the People, Not Self-Praise, at the Press Conference on the 7th"

"Citizens Frustrated with Kim Yeo-sa Issue... Action Needed"

President Yoon Suk-yeol has decided to hold a national address and press conference on the 7th, and Kim Jong-hyuk, a Supreme Council member of the People Power Party, stated that President Yoon should sincerely apologize to the public without including self-praising messages.

Ahead of the halfway point of his term on the 10th, President Yoon is expected to reveal plans for policy in the second half of his administration and directions for the four major reforms through a national address. At the same time, he is also expected to directly address the recent controversy regarding allegations of Kim Geon-hee’s interference in candidate nominations.

On the 5th, Kim, on CBS Radio’s "Kim Hyun-jung’s News Show," said, "It is the people who evaluate, so the president should not preemptively praise himself," adding, "He must also sincerely apologize to the public." He continued, "During President Yoon’s address on medical school quotas last April, it ended up being a one-sided repetition of the president’s claims. Many people sighed and said, ‘This general election is over.’ If this time, the explanation is limited to saying that the policy was attempted with good intentions, the backlash will be even greater."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

He pointed out, "The reason the president is granted immunity from prosecution except for crimes of rebellion and treason is because the president is a highly political figure. If political responsibilities are disregarded and it is simply said that there is no legal problem, the public will be very disappointed." According to Article 84 of the Constitution, the president cannot be prosecuted for criminal charges during the term except in cases of rebellion or treason.

Regarding the People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon’s public demand at the Supreme Council meeting the previous day for Kim Geon-hee to suspend her public activities, Kim said, "It is not appropriate to specify the exact level of measures," but emphasized, "He must clearly state how he intends to handle this matter."

Kim added, "We have heard more than once that Kim Geon-hee would restrain her activities, but hasn’t she repeatedly stayed quiet for a while and then reappeared? The public is very fed up, so appropriate measures are necessary."