Ahn Cheolsoo: "I Will Defend the Party Against the Special Prosecutor's Political Oppression"
Kwon Seongdong: "He Is Trying to Portray Himself as a Tragic Hero"
When Ahn Cheolsoo, a member of the People Power Party, refused to comply with the summons from Special Prosecutor Cho Eunseok's team investigating the insurrection case, saying, "I have no intention of cooperating," fellow party member Kwon Seongdong criticized him on the 30th, stating, "He is acting as if he is a martyr in a situation he created himself, trying to evoke a sense of tragic heroism."
Kwon, who previously served as the floor leader of the People Power Party, wrote on Facebook, a social networking service, earlier that morning, "Yesterday, Ahn Cheolsoo, a candidate for party leader, made a fuss, claiming he received a single text message from the special prosecutor." He added, "In response, the special prosecutor clarified, 'We contacted him because he was the only (then) ruling party lawmaker who supported the Special Prosecutor Act on insurrection.'"
People Power Party lawmaker Kwon Seongdong is heading to his office at the National Assembly Members' Office Building in Yeouido, Seoul on the 18th. Photo by Yonhap News
Kwon continued, "The reality is that Ahn Cheolsoo was the only one who cast a vote in favor of the Special Prosecutor Act, which is riddled with unconstitutional elements, and later drove his colleagues to the edge of a cliff under the banner of 'personnel purge.'" He pointed out, "When his colleagues fell victim to the major blade of political investigation, he watched with a smile, but now that a mere request for cooperation as a reference?which doesn't even rise to the level of a box cutter?has come to him, he raises his voice, calling it 'reckless political investigation.' This is truly laughable."
He added, "If he was unaware that the essence of the special prosecutor's probe is political retaliation, that is incompetence. If he knew, but still sacrificed the party and his colleagues with a 'not me' attitude, that is cowardice." He further criticized, "I am once again reminded that his nickname, 'Yeouido's representative weak man,' was not given without reason."
The previous day, Ahn held a press conference in front of the symbolic seat at the National Assembly to announce his candidacy for party leader, stating, "The special prosecutor appointed by the Lee Jaemyung administration sent me a text message today, demanding my appearance, saying there is an investigation into insurrection." He argued, "Sending such a message even to me, who opposed martial law and supported impeachment, is an attempt to brand the entire People Power Party as a party of insurrection."
On Facebook that day, Ahn also wrote, "The special prosecutor under the Lee Jaemyung administration has become a party dissolution committee, performing a 'reckless sword dance' in an attempt to brand our party with 'insurrection.'" He declared, "I will take the lead in defending the party from the indiscriminate political oppression of the special prosecutor."
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