People Power Party Candidates' Endorsements of Martial Law Spark Controversy

The upcoming June 3rd by-elections have been marred by increasingly brazen endorsements of martial law and sedition by candidates from the People Power Party. The situation has reached a fever pitch, with one candidate, Kim Seok-hoon, running in the Ansan Gap constituency, outright stating on a YouTube channel that former President Yoon Suk-yeol 'truly imposed martial law to protect this country' and that 'we are suffering because of the gangster-like actions of the leftists.' This statement was made as Kim visited the detention center where Yoon is held, engaging in a sycophantic exchange with far-right YouTubers.

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Yoon Suk-yeol truly imposed martial law to protect this country, and we are suffering because of the gangster-like actions of the leftists.

Kim, a former Ansan City Council chairman, was nominated by the party despite a history of four criminal convictions for violations related to urban planning, construction, election law, and election fraud prevention. Party nomination committee chairman Park Duk-hum lauded him as a 'proven worker who has long cared for local issues,' while conveniently omitting his past and his strong affiliation with Yoon. This pattern is not isolated. The party has also nominated former officials like Lee Jin-sook and Kim Tae-gyu, who were instrumental in the previous administration's alleged media control, for key constituencies. Lee, for instance, defended her nomination by stating that 'a final court ruling on sedition has not yet been made.'

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A final court ruling on sedition has not yet been made.

This trend, dubbed 'Yoon Again nominations,' appears to be a deliberate strategy to rally the party's hardline base. Candidates like former lawmaker Lee Yong, who served as Yoon's chief of staff and faces charges of abuse of power, and former lawmaker Chung Jin-suk, who also faces charges and served as Yoon's last presidential secretary, have been nominated. Chung, when pressed, retorted, 'Don't force 'Jeol-Yoon' (absolute loyalty to Yoon) on me.' The party's leadership, including interim leader Jang Dong-hyuk, claims they are making nominations that 'the public can understand' and that will lead to victory. However, given the current climate, such assurances ring hollow. Many candidates are finding themselves in the difficult position of having to face voters while wearing the party's white jumper, a stark contrast to the public's apparent cooling sentiment. Clinging solely to the extreme right-wing base until the last moment will not shield them from the harsh judgment of the people.

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Don't force 'Jeol-Yoon' (absolute loyalty to Yoon) on me.