Minju: "Jeon Du-hwan's eldest son, who incites rebellion asking if we're ready to bleed, is truly the bloodline of a rebel leader"

Democratic Party: "Shamelessness Befitting the Bloodline of a Coup Leader"
5.18 Organizations: "An Act of Contempt for Democracy"

The Democratic Party of Korea on the 7th fiercely criticized, saying, "Jeon Jae-guk, the eldest son of Jeon Du-hwan, incited rebellion against participants of the protest opposing the impeachment of President Yoon Seok-yeol," and called him "shameless, befitting the bloodline of a military rebellion ringleader and traitor."

Jeon Jae-guk, eldest son of former President Jeon Du-hwan. Photo by Asia Economy DB

Last month on the 17th, Jeon attended a debate hosted by the "Professors Practicing Freedom and Justice" who opposed the impeachment of President Yoon Seok-yeol as a speaker, stating, "If it is true that the Chinese Communist Party is behind all these incidents, including election fraud, then I think we must answer the following question," and asked, "Are we truly prepared to shed blood?" He also said, "Righteous armies are rising nationwide," and "It reminds me of the student soldiers who heroically sacrificed themselves like flowers during the Korean War in Seoul, Daegu, and even Gwangju."

In response, Lee Ji-hye, deputy spokesperson of the Democratic Party, pointed out in a statement, "Jeon made a horrific remark comparing the anti-impeachment protests to 'righteous army movements' and 'Korean War student soldiers,'" and fiercely criticized, "The son of a traitor inciting riots using the blood of the people is heartbreaking. As the son of a traitor, does he emotionally sympathize with the rebellion committed by Yoon Seok-yeol?" She emphasized, "Jeon Jae-guk's incitement to rebellion confirms that to prevent repeating the history of rebellion, the rebels must be severely punished. Seeing the son of a traitor still come out and speak shows how deeply rooted and shameless the rebel forces are." She also raised her voice, saying, "Do not mock the people like your father who refused to pay fines and claimed to have 'only 290,000 won in total assets.' Do you think the law and the people are a joke while you live lavishly with the hidden assets your father concealed?"

Kim Min-seok, a Supreme Council member of the Democratic Party, also said at the Supreme Council meeting that day, "Following Jeon Gwang-hoon and Jeon Han-gil, Jeon Jae-guk, the son of Jeon Du-hwan, has appeared on South Korea's far-right front," and added, "Jeon Han-gil's warning of bloodshed if Yoon Seok-yeol is removed and Jeon Jae-guk's remarks about being prepared to shed blood over alleged election fraud are chilling and ominous," and stressed, "We must preemptively extinguish the spark of far-right violence that Jeon Gwang-hoon incited, which is trying to reenact court riots at the Constitutional Court."

The three 5.18 public law organizations (the Association of the Injured, the Association of Meritorious Persons, and the Bereaved Families Association) and the 5.18 Memorial Foundation also expressed anger. They said, "It is an act of contempt for the rule of law and democracy in South Korea that the descendant of Jeon Du-hwan, who led the December 12 military coup, made remarks inciting rebellion again," and pointed out, "This is a clear signal that the heirs of military dictatorship are trying to trample democracy once more."