Minju: "'Yoon Gakha Movement' Will Be Preserved in History... Must Wake Up and Stop"

Lee Cheolwoo: "'Gakha' Does Not Have a Negative Meaning... Rejection of Impeachment Is Urgently Needed"

Lee Nayoung, deputy spokesperson of the Democratic Party of Korea, criticized the ruling party faction's suggestion to call President Yoon Seok-yeol "Gakha (閣下)" by saying, "The behavior of protecting a rebel leader and suffering from 'Gakha-byeong' will be enshrined in history."

In a statement on the 19th, the deputy spokesperson said, "Governor Lee Cheol-woo of Gyeongbuk's 'Gakha-byeong' has flared up again after just a week," adding, "'The 'Yoon Seok-yeol Gakha Movement' was proposed, but after it became controversial, he fled like a thief in the night, only to quietly reappear after a week. The serenade from Governor Lee to President Yoon is utterly disgraceful," she began. She questioned, "(President Yoon) not only violated the constitution through rebellion but also provoked North Korea to wage war and attempted to massacre thousands. Is it sane to loudly call out the leader of such a rebel force?"

People Power Party members Lee Jong-bae (left) and Lee Man-hee are holding a relay protest on the 19th in front of the Constitutional Court in Jongno-gu, Seoul, urging the dismissal of President Yoon Seok-yeol's impeachment. Photo by Yonhap News

She then directed criticism at Governor Lee, saying, "The governor, who should protect the lives of the residents, is only chanting 'Gakha' and protecting the rebel leader," and asked, "Are the citizens of Gimcheon and the people of Gyeongbuk, who have elected you three times as a member of the National Assembly and twice as governor, not ashamed?" She continued, "The behavior of Governor Lee, who suffers from 'Gakha-byeong' while protecting a rebel leader, will be enshrined in history," and urged, "If Governor Lee does not want to suffer such disgrace, I hope he will come to his senses now and stop chanting 'Gakha'."

Earlier, on the 12th, Governor Lee proposed through his social media (SNS), "I hope the movement to call President Yoon Seok-yeol 'Gakha,' which sounds the same as 'rejection' but has a different meaning, will become a national request so that the impeachment will be rejected."

On the same day, Governor Lee also explained via SNS, "According to the Standard Korean Dictionary by the National Institute of the Korean Language, 'Gakha' is an honorific title for certain high-ranking officials," adding, "Although it was negatively perceived during the authoritarian era, it does not inherently have a bad meaning." He said, "Now, the rejection of President Yoon's impeachment is more urgent than ever," and added, "It is pitiful to see the opposition party getting upset with extreme right-wing agitation over the term I mentioned to emphasize the ambiguous expression."