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🇰🇷 South Korea /Elections & Politics

PPP Leader Accuses Lee Jae-myung of Being Kim Jong Un's Spokesperson

From Hankyoreh · (35m ago) Korean Critical tone

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyuk accused opposition leader Lee Jae-myung of becoming North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's spokesperson.
  • Jang criticized a proposed special prosecutor bill aimed at investigating alleged manipulation of state affairs and prosecutorial misconduct under Lee's potential presidency.
  • He also questioned the eligibility of Democratic Party candidate Kim Bu-gyeom for mayor of Daegu, citing a past conviction under the National Security Act.

In a fiery address at the opening ceremony for People Power Party Daegu mayoral candidate Chu Kyung-ho's election office, party leader Jang Dong-hyuk launched a scathing attack on opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, leveling accusations that have become increasingly common in the charged political climate of South Korea. Jang declared that Lee has long since transformed into a spokesperson for Kim Jong Un, North Korea's supreme leader, a stark assertion aimed at painting Lee as unpatriotic and aligned with adversaries.

President Lee Jae-myung has long since become Kim Jong Un's spokesperson.

— Jang Dong-hyukThe People Power Party leader accused the opposition leader of acting as an apologist for North Korea.

The core of Jang's criticism targeted a special prosecutor bill proposed by Democratic Party lawmakers. He vehemently argued that this bill, ostensibly for investigating alleged state affairs manipulation and prosecutorial misconduct, is in reality a thinly veiled attempt by Lee to secure an extension of his presidential term. Jang framed this move as a dangerous step towards 'socialist constitutional amendments,' a hyperbolic but potent charge in South Korean political discourse, designed to evoke strong negative reactions from conservative voters.

A special prosecutor for the cancellation of indictment will lead to socialist constitutional amendments for the extension of the president's term.

— Jang Dong-hyukJang criticized a proposed special prosecutor bill, calling it a move to extend Lee Jae-myung's presidential term.

Jang did not stop at Lee, extending his vitriol to Kim Bu-gyeom, a Democratic Party candidate for mayor of Daegu. He questioned Kim's suitability for the position, referencing a past conviction for violating the National Security Act. Jang contrasted Kim, whom he dismissively labeled an 'aspiring economic mayor,' with his party's candidate, Chu Kyung-ho, portraying Chu as the 'real economic mayor' who can revitalize Daegu. This rhetoric underscores the deep partisan divisions and the often personal, sometimes inflammatory, nature of political campaigning in South Korea, where national security and economic competence are frequently weaponized.

Should we create an outpost of the Lee Jae-myung regime, which is destroying the constitutional order, in Daegu?

— Jang Dong-hyukHe questioned the suitability of the Democratic Party's influence in Daegu, a conservative stronghold.
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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