Kim Jonghyuk Strongly Criticizes Kwon Seongdong's Retirement Press Conference
"Did He Receive a 'Cherry Thumbs Up' for Not Flattering Yoon Sukyeol?"
"What Was He Doing During Myung Taegyun's Nomination, Martial Law, and the Western District Court Disturbance?"
"Let us stop blaming each other and dividing ourselves. Let us not see our fellow party members as targets for annihilation." While Kwon Seongdong, floor leader of the People Power Party, left these words at his retirement press conference on the 12th, Kim Jonghyuk, former Supreme Council Member classified as part of the pro-Han (pro-Han Donghoon) faction, described Kwon's remarks as "the height of sophistry and distortion." On social media that day, Kim criticized Kwon, saying he "will be remembered as one of the 'double Kwons' who ruined the conservative administration." The term 'double Kwons' refers to Kwon Seongdong and former Emergency Response Committee Chairman Kwon Youngse.
Regarding Kwon's retirement press conference, Kim stated, "Any reasonable citizen would have once again realized why he is 'Kwon Seongdong,'" adding, "Perhaps he thought that no matter what nonsense he spouted, no one would dare to speak up. I hope he wakes up from that dream," expressing strong criticism. In particular, Kim mocked Kwon's claim that "he never flattered former President Yoon Sukyeol, never received any favors, and even offered harsh criticism," saying, "That's truly laughable. Is that why he drove out Lee Junseok and received a 'Cherry Thumbs Up' from Yoon Sukyeol?"
Kim further rebuked, "Wasn't Kwon Seongdong also the floor leader when water bottles were thrown at the general meeting to drive out Han Donghoon? When Yoon Sukyeol and Kim Keonhee mobilized pro-Yoon members to privatize and ruin the party, when they manipulated nominations through text exchanges with Myung Taegyun, during legislative conflicts, when the general election was lost, during the martial law incident, during the Western District Court disturbance, and during countless other incidents?what harsh criticism did the party power-holder Kwon Seongdong ever offer?"
Regarding Kwon's self-assessment that he held the party together, Kim said, "Did he hold the party together by visiting Yoon Sukyeol together with former Emergency Response Committee Chairman Kwon Youngse?" He continued, "When senior party members were making absurd statements about 'enlightenment orders' instead of martial law, when the Constitutional Court was expected to rule 4-4 or 5-3 against, and when the protesters were being agitated, did Kwon Seongdong?who had experience as the Judiciary Committee Chairman during Park Geunhye's impeachment?ever once say, 'That cannot happen'?" He went on, "Did he hold the party together so well that he handed over power to a flawed candidate like Lee Jaemyung?"
Kwon Seongdong, floor leader of the People Power Party who declared his resignation from the floor leader position, is speaking at a party meeting held at the National Assembly on the 9th. Photo by Kim Hyunmin
Regarding Kwon's comment about the presidential candidate unification process?"Didn't the Southern District Court also reject the injunction filed by candidate Kim Moonsoo?"?Kim replied, "Don't be ridiculous. The internal coup happened at 3 a.m. on the 10th, and the Southern District Court's injunction was on the 9th. Since there was no concrete action to install Han Deoksoo as the candidate, it was only natural that Kim Moonsoo's request to preemptively block it was dismissed. But does a court's decision justify the first-ever candidate replacement coup since liberation?" He added, "Even if the coup had succeeded and Han Deoksoo had become the candidate, if anyone had filed a lawsuit claiming that the 3 a.m. candidate announcement and registration were unjust, the court would naturally have accepted it. Isn't that common sense?"
He continued, "Former Prime Minister Han Deoksoo is currently under investigation for insurrection. This is because the presidential office's CCTV records contradict previous statements. If Han had become the candidate and this fact had been revealed during the election, what on earth would have happened?"
He further criticized, "If Kwon had stepped down by apologizing and seeking forgiveness from the people and party members, I would not be scrutinizing the departing person to this extent. But since he claims he did nothing wrong and has no regrets, does that mean the people and party members who suffered are at fault and should have regrets? The longer one holds power, the more they seem to look down on the world."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
