Yoo Si-min's Remarks on Seol Nan-young Spark Controversy
People Power Party: "An Outrageous Statement Containing Misogyny"
Writer Yoo Si-min sparked controversy after stating that Seol Nan-young, the spouse of Kim Moon-soo, the People Power Party's presidential candidate, was "not in her right mind." The People Power Party protested, calling the remarks a personal insult, and demanded a public apology and that Yoo cease all broadcasting activities.
Writer Yoo Si-min appeared on the YouTube channel Ddanji Broadcasting Station's "Kim Eo-jun's Das Bweida" on the 28th, sparking controversy over his remarks about Seol Nan-young, the spouse of Kim Moon-soo, the People Power Party's presidential candidate. Screenshot from Ddanji Broadcasting Station.
On the 29th, Lee Sungwon, spokesperson for the People Power Party's Central Election Committee, said in a commentary, "On the 28th, Yoo appeared on episode 354 of the YouTube channel Ddanji Broadcasting Station's 'Kim Eo-jun's Das Bweida' and has provoked public outrage nationwide with his premodern, misogynistic slurs." He urged, "Yoo should kneel and apologize to all women who are fighting for gender equality by living their ordinary lives with determination."
During the broadcast, Yoo pointed out, "This is the first time I have seen the spouse of a major party’s candidate publicly disparage the spouse of another major candidate. It has never happened before." He continued, "Seol Nan-young was the head of the Sejin Electronics labor union, and Kim Moon-soo was the head of the Hanil Doruko union. In other words, a college-educated worker married a 'real worker.'"
He went on to say, "To Seol Nan-young, Kim Moon-soo must seem like an exceptional person. She probably feels elevated by marrying such an outstanding man, someone whose life achievements are so remarkable that she feels unbalanced in comparison."
Yoo also said, "Her husband went in and out of prison, and she supported him, living a rough life as the family of a detainee, then became the wife of a National Assembly member, and later, the wife of the Gyeonggi Province governor, which must have made her admire him even more. Now that he has become a presidential candidate, it is difficult for her to maintain a critical distance from her husband. She has reached a position as the spouse of a major party’s presidential candidate, a role she cannot handle."
Yoo added, "This person is now floating above the ground," and explained, "In my view, she is not in her right mind, possibly because she thinks she could become the First Lady."
In response, spokesperson Lee said, "With such a lowly, authoritarian mindset, I cannot help but question how Yoo has ever 'fought' for human rights alongside so many women's rights activists and female politicians." He criticized, "Is your understanding of women truly limited to the notion that their lives are entirely determined by their husbands?"
He continued, "Previously, Yoo defended Lee Jaemyung, the Democratic Party's presidential candidate, by supporting his so-called 'hotel economics' and claimed that 'without graduate-level study, one cannot understand it,' making elitist comments. Now, he has added academic snobbery and misogyny to his list of outrageous remarks." He asserted, "Yoo's comments are not only verbal abuse and slander that completely deny and belittle the lives of our mothers and women who lived through the era of developmentalism, but also an unprecedented insult."
Lee Minchan, another spokesperson for the People Power Party's Central Election Committee, also condemned Yoo’s remarks as personal insults. Lee Minchan stated, "Yoo still seems unable to escape the outdated perception of classifying Korean women by educational background and occupation," and added, "It is unacceptable to disparage former colleagues who endured the pains of the era together, simply for political gain." He further demanded, "Issue a public apology and cease all activities immediately."
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