People Power Party Leadership Candidates Split Over Attempt to Arrest Former President Yoon
Kim Moon-soo and Jang Dong-hyuk Denounce "Serious Human Rights Violations"
Ahn Cheol-soo and Cho Kyung-tae Emphasize "Upholding the Rule of Law"
The People Power Party leadership candidates have become divided over the special prosecutor's attempt to arrest former President Yoon Suk-yeol, with some supporting and others opposing the move. Candidates who opposed impeachment argued that it was a "serious human rights violation," while those who supported impeachment countered that "cooperating with the execution of a warrant is the way to uphold the rule of law."
On August 10, during a televised debate for the People Power Party's leadership candidates held at the Channel A studio in Jongno-gu, Seoul, former Minister of Employment and Labor Kim Moon-soo stated, "The very fact that there are reports of him taking off his clothes or lying down in prison constitutes a human rights violation."
Former Minister Kim further pointed out, "Former President Yoon was injured and hospitalized while authorities attempted to forcibly arrest him. This is a serious human rights violation. The entire world is watching."
Representative Jang Dong-hyuk also commented, "Even if the arrest and detention warrants were issued by the court, I believe human rights must always be protected. There is no precedent for briefing all these details, and I believe doing so in itself is a human rights violation."
In contrast, Representatives Ahn Cheol-soo and Cho Kyung-tae criticized former President Yoon Suk-yeol, arguing that the attempt to arrest him did not constitute a human rights violation.
Representative Ahn stated, "As a former president, it is more appropriate to maintain dignity and cooperate. I believe that is how we uphold the rule of law, which is a core value of conservatism."
Representative Cho added, "The public must have been truly disheartened to see a president behaving worse than a thug. He is the one who asked for air conditioning because it was hot. He can simply be questioned while enjoying the cool air from the air conditioner."
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