Cho Kuk: "'Real' and 'New' Are Languages of Exclusion"
Cho Kuk, leader of the Cho Kuk Innovation Party, expressed displeasure on the 22nd over the recent spread in political circles of terms such as "Moon Again" (a portmanteau meaning that supporters of former President Moon Jae-in are resurging) and "New Lee Jaemyung" (a neologism referring to those who support the Democratic Party by backing President Lee Jaemyung).
On Facebook that day, Leader Cho pointed out, "Since the phase of (the Democratic Party’s) merger proposal began, some people have suddenly emerged who spread a frame that pushes out precious figures of the democratic and progressive camp, such as Rhyu Si-min, by labeling them as 'Old Lee Jaemyung', or even 'Banmyeong' (anti-Lee Jaemyung)."
The representative attended the entrance ceremony of the Physical Therapists and Public Children's Rehabilitation Hospital Disabled Families' group held at the National Assembly on the 20th and delivered a welcoming address. Yonhap News
He went on, "There are people who, under the banner of 'New', define the core support base that has long defended the camp as 'Old', exclude them, and wage a struggle to form the 'mainstream' with themselves alone," adding, "Their actions shrink and weaken the support base of the Lee Jaemyung administration."
Cho continued, "On YouTube, countless videos are being uploaded that, under the name of 'New Lee Jaemyung', attack figures in the democratic and progressive camp whom they classify as 'Old'. The identities and background of the creators are suspicious."
He then effectively singled out as the "background" those who have relatively recently joined the Democratic Party while claiming to support President Lee. He criticized, "In particular, politicians (and would-be politicians) who used to stand on the opposite side of the democratic and progressive camp and have slipped over recently without reflection are showing this kind of behavior," and added, "Among the politicians who now front 'New Lee Jaemyung' and act as if they are the 'real Myung' or 'Lee Jaemyung’s true guardians', it is easy to find those who in the past harshly attacked and slandered not only Roh Moo-hyun and Moon Jae-in but also Lee Jaemyung."
He also recalled President Lee’s remark from February 2024, when Lee was leader of the Democratic Party, that "dividing into pro-Myung and non-Myung is a sin," and stressed, "All wise politicians know that purism in politics is a path of self-harm." He continued, "We must be especially wary of those who trade on the president’s name. In modern political history, wise sovereigns have been pro-Kim Dae-jung and pro-Roh Moo-hyun, pro-Moon Jae-in and pro-Lee Jaemyung, and they have even cared about Roh Hoe-chan," adding, "The sovereign people know well that the successive presidents of the democratic and progressive camp have each had their own achievements and limitations, and that they have been running a relay race."
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