Park Ji-won Says, "It Would Have Been Better If the Presidential Office Responded Honestly to President Lee's Variety Show Appearance"

Regarding the Variety Show Appearance Controversy:
"Response Was Regrettable, But Criticism Is Excessive"
On Lee Jin-sook's Arrest:
"Police Were 'Overzealous'?Agreeing with Park Beom-gye's Point"

On October 9, Park Ji-won, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, commented on the controversy surrounding President Lee Jae-myung and his spouse's appearance on the JTBC variety show 'Please Take Care of My Refrigerator.' He said, "It would have been better if the presidential office had responded more candidly and effectively."

Park Ji-won, member of the Democratic Party of Korea. Photo by Asia Economy DB

During an appearance on MBC Radio's 'Focus' that day, Park addressed the criticism from the People Power Party that President Lee chose to appear on a variety show rather than manage the aftermath of the National Information Resources Service fire. He stated, "President Lee did not do anything he shouldn't have," but nonetheless made the aforementioned point.

He continued, "Even if the presidential office's initial response was inadequate, is it really such a big problem to promote K-culture and K-food to the world? The general reaction is that the People Power Party's attack is excessive."

Park also addressed the remarks made by Woo Sang-ho, Senior Presidential Secretary for Political Affairs, who mentioned a 'difference in temperature' between the party and the government regarding the ruling party's push for reform legislation. Park said, "Since we are a democratic government and a democratic party, having differing opinions is a good thing," but emphasized, "However, adjustments must be made. The party and government should make joint announcements. If things are inconsistent, the public will feel uneasy and the reforms could fail."

He explained, "The three major reform trains have departed and are running smoothly. While the presidential office, as the engineer, has called for adjusting the speed for safety, my intention was to say that reforms should not stall or stop because of this." He added, "The report on this issue grew so much that I felt sorry for Woo Sang-ho and couldn't even send him Chuseok greetings."

Some Democratic Party Lawmakers Criticize 'Overzealous' Arrest of Former Chairperson Lee Jin-sook

Jin-Sook Lee, Former Chairperson of the Korea Communications Commission. Photo by Asia Economy Database

Meanwhile, Park Ji-won and several other Democratic Party lawmakers expressed the opinion that the police response in arresting former Korea Communications Commission Chairperson Lee Jin-sook was 'excessive.'

Park Beom-gye, a fellow party member, criticized on Facebook the previous day, saying, "The police were either naive or overzealous." Park Ji-won also stated, "I strongly agree with the point made by Assemblyman Park Beom-gye."

He added, "Some people even say that now that Lee Jin-sook has been released, she appears less frequently on TV, so it's good not to see someone they dislike. There is little public support for her since she hasn't done anything commendable."

Park Kyun-taek, another Democratic Party lawmaker, also appeared on KBS's 'Jeonggyeok Sisa' and commented, "Since Lee Jin-sook repeatedly failed to appear, her arrest was legally justified. However, considering the repercussions, I wonder if the police could have exercised a bit more restraint."