Hong Jun-pyo Targets Han Dong-hoon and Yoo Seung-min: "Both Traitors Who Caused Their Lords' Impeachment"

"The Traitor Can Never Escape the Shackles Forever"

Hong Jun-pyo, the mayor of Daegu, criticized former People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon and former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min, saying, "Both are nothing but traitors who caused the impeachment of their own lords." Han and Yoo had respectively supported the impeachment motions against President Yoon Seok-yeol and former President Park Geun-hye.

On the 25th, Mayor Hong said on his Facebook, "Lemmings are just lemmings, and traitors will never be able to escape that stigma." 'Lemming' refers to a rodent known for its collective behavior.

Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo is giving a greeting at the 'Park Chung-hee Statue Unveiling Ceremony' held at Dongdaegu Station Plaza on the afternoon of the 23rd. Photo by Yonhap News

Mayor Hong stated, "Since I have been attacking the true nature of Han Dong-hoon, I will gladly accept the recent backlash from Han Dong-hoon’s lemmings," adding, "Former lawmaker Yoo called me Yoon Seok-yeol’s Lemming No. 1, but he is someone who always pursues selfish and vindictive politics, so no matter what slander he spreads, I do not care."

He continued, "I always walk my path with confidence. Whether they are jealous or throwing tantrums, let them do as they please," and said, "That does not make a lemming a principled politician, nor does it make a traitor a principled politician."

Earlier, Mayor Hong had criticized Han and some lawmakers who sympathized with the public opinion supporting President Yoon’s impeachment by calling them 'lemmings.' In response, former lawmaker Yoo appeared on MBC Radio’s 'Kwon Soon-pyo’s News Highkick' and pointed out, "The mayor of Daegu called them lemmings, but (those who opposed the impeachment) are the real lemmings, and he is Lemming No. 1."

Meanwhile, Mayor Hong also expressed concern about the increasingly polarized factionalism. Through Facebook, he pointed out, "Both the Korean conservative and progressive camps are trapped in factionalism that obsesses over hatred and criticism rather than trying to understand the other side’s logic, which has split Korea into two halves." He added, "Such extreme factionalism is not suitable for an advanced nation. If everything is resolved based on national interest, the people would be comfortable and happy, but if we continue down this polarized path, only the people will suffer."