Jang Kyung-tae, Holding Birthday Cake, Says "I Felt Detached, But Will Return to My Original Mindset"

Opposition Parties Immediately Criticize Jang's Social Media Post and Photo
Political Dispute Continues as Jang Files Counter-complaint for False Accusation

Jang Kyung-tae, a National Assembly member from the Democratic Party of Korea, has expressed his complicated feelings regarding the recent series of controversies and stated his intention to return to his original mindset. On December 6, Assemblyman Jang posted a lengthy message on social media along with a photo of himself holding a birthday cake, sharing his thoughts on the current situation. He wrote, "At first, I was overwhelmed with anger and disbelief, and my mind went blank. I tried to pull myself together, but I couldn't avoid feeling discouraged. I experienced a mental breakdown and even felt a sense of detachment from reality. I think this will leave me with trauma."

On the 6th, Representative Jang Kyung-tae posted a lengthy message on social media (SNS) along with a photo of himself holding a birthday cake, sharing his feelings about the current situation. Jang Kyung-tae Instagram

Referring to his approach of not discriminating against people during his political activities, he said, "I used to think that advice such as 'choose who you meet' and 'go where there is value' were just the words of old-fashioned people," adding, "I have always believed that politics should not divide people into classes or draw lines between them. Meeting good people has taught me a lot." He continued, "I began to question myself, wondering if my attitude of trying to approach the world comfortably had actually been foolish. They say that a person's character is revealed in good times, and their conscience in difficult times. I will pull myself together and rebuild my foundation from the basics," he emphasized.

However, the opposition parties immediately pushed back against Assemblyman Jang's statement. On December 7, Choi Sujin, the chief spokesperson for the People Power Party, said in a commentary, "The victim appeared on a broadcast on December 4 and testified that there was physical contact, even stating that there is an audio recording of her expressing her refusal. Despite this, Assemblyman Jang mocked the situation by calling it an 'interview staged according to a script.'"

Chief Spokesperson Choi further criticized, "Not only is there suspicion of sexual harassment, but Assemblyman Jang also treated the victim as if she were an actor in a planned scheme, trampling on her dignity. I want to ask whether Assemblyman Jang has even the slightest bit of conscience left, as he dismisses the shame and fear the victim must have felt as mere acting." She added, "While pretending to be falsely accused in public and claiming the allegations are untrue, behind the scenes he instructed his secretary to send a photo of the victim's boyfriend, asking, 'Is this the person?', essentially ordering a background check. If this is not a sex crime committed by abusing power, then what is?" She strongly criticized, "Do not be deluded into thinking you can cover up the truth with claims of staging. Illegal background checks must be punished as additional crimes."

Previously, at the end of last month, the police received a complaint alleging that Assemblyman Jang had committed sexual harassment at a restaurant in Yeouido. At the time, Assemblyman Jang was reportedly present at a dinner gathering with staff from another National Assembly office. Assemblyman Jang has completely denied the allegations, claiming they are untrue, and has filed a counter-complaint against the accuser for false accusation, assault, and violation of the Protection of Communications Secrets Act.