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🇰🇷 South Korea /Elections & Politics

Opposition Slams Ruling Party for Inviting Ex-President Park Geun-hye to Retreat

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • The main opposition Democratic Party criticized the ruling People Power Party for inviting former President Park Geun-hye to its lawmakers' retreat.
  • Democratic Party spokesperson Lee Ju-young questioned if former President Yoon Suk-yeol would be next, referencing Park's impeachment and Yoon's past actions.
  • Another Democratic lawmaker, Park Jie-won, sarcastically suggested inviting Choi Soon-sil, a key figure in Park's corruption scandal, to the retreat.

The main opposition Democratic Party has sharply criticized the ruling People Power Party's decision to invite former President Park Geun-hye to its upcoming lawmakers' retreat. The invitation has ignited a political firestorm, with the opposition accusing the ruling party of attempting to resurrect a politically tarnished past.

After bringing the conservative political forces to the brink, you ask the person responsible for rebuilding conservatism?

— Lee Ju-youngThe Democratic Party spokesperson questioned the People Power Party's decision to invite former President Park Geun-hye.

Lee Ju-young, spokesperson for the Democratic Party, expressed dismay, questioning the People Power Party's strategy. "After bringing the conservative political forces to the brink, you ask the person responsible for rebuilding conservatism?" Lee stated, rhetorically asking if former President Yoon Suk-yeol would be the next invitee. The party also invoked the memory of past political turmoil, referencing figures involved in constitutional crises and severe legal judgments.

Lee further argued that bringing back figures who have faced "stern judgment from the people" undermines the public's will. The party urged the People Power Party to use the retreat to present new commitments rather than recalling outdated political figures.

Is former President Yoon Suk-yeol next?

— Lee Ju-youngThe Democratic Party spokesperson sarcastically questioned the ruling party's future political invitations.

Adding to the criticism, Democratic lawmaker Park Jie-won took to social media, calling the situation "bizarre." He sarcastically suggested that since Park Geun-hye was heavily influenced by Choi Soon-sil, a central figure in Park's corruption scandal, the People Power Party should also extend an invitation to Choi. Park Geun-hye is scheduled to attend the two-day retreat starting June 27 in Goyang.

The People Power Party is bizarre.

— Park Jie-wonA Democratic lawmaker expressed disbelief at the ruling party's decision to invite the impeached former president.

The People Power Party's floor leader, Jeong Jin-seok, had personally visited Park Geun-hye at her residence to extend the invitation.

Since Park Geun-hye knows nothing and can do nothing without Choi Soon-sil, Floor Leader Jeong Jin-seok should visit her in prison and invite her too.

— Park Jie-wonThe Democratic lawmaker sarcastically suggested inviting Choi Soon-sil, a key figure in Park's corruption scandal, to the retreat.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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