"Demanding a Public Apology for Alliance with Kim Moonsu"
Criticism: "President Kim Daejung Would Be Turning in His Grave"
Kim Youngrok, Governor of Jeonnam Province, along with former governors Heo Kyungman and Park Junyoung, strongly condemned former governor Lee Nakyon's declaration of support for Kim Moonsu, the People Power Party candidate.
On May 29, in a statement condemning Lee Nakyon, they said, "The Jeolla spirit, which has prioritized the greater good over personal safety, is a source of pride for the people of the province. Successive governors of Jeonnam have made great efforts to uphold and develop this Jeolla spirit."
They continued, "Jeonnam is a land of righteousness that has stood up against injustice and set the course of history straight. Together with Admiral Yi Sunshin during the Imjin War, it saved the nation and its people, and it was the center of the Donghak Peasant Revolution and the anti-Japanese independence movement in the late Joseon period." They added, "It is the sacred ground of democratization that contributed to the development of democracy in Korea through the 5·18 Uprising, and, with the spirit of 'If there is no Honam, there is no country,' it has taken the lead in demanding the removal of Yoon Sukyeol, the ringleader of rebellion."
They further stated, "A person who, with the overwhelming support of Jeonnam residents, rose to the positions of governor, prime minister, and leader of the Democratic Party, has now, blinded by personal ambition, declared an alliance with forces that destroy democracy. This is an unforgivable insult and betrayal to the people of Jeonnam and the Jeolla spirit, and it is not only tragic but also shameful. President Kim Daejung, his political mentor, would be turning in his grave."
They also urged, "Lee Nakyon, former governor of Jeonnam, who has betrayed the Jeolla spirit and trampled on the honor and pride of the people of Jeonnam, must make a public apology for this unjust alliance and, even now, come to his senses and immediately withdraw his support for the forces of rebellion."
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