Former South Korean Party Leader Apologizes Amid Controversy over Offensive Remarks

Former South Korean Party Leader Apologizes Amid Controversy over Supporters’ Offensive Remarks

In a recent event commemorating his departure from the party, former leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, Lee Nak-yeon, apologized for the offensive remarks made by some of his supporters. The event, categorized as a “resignation celebration,” saw strong criticism directed towards the current party leader, Governor Lee Jae-myung. Prime Minister Lee acknowledged the highly inappropriate nature of the supporters’ provocative remarks and personally conveyed his apologies.

Supporters’ Strong Criticism and Resignation Announcement

During the event held at the National Assembly Building on the 13th, around 300 supporters, including former Deputy Speaker Lee Seok-hyun and former Mayor Choi Sung, publicly expressed their dissatisfaction with the Lee Jae-myung leadership by openly declaring their intention to leave the Democratic Party. Former lawmaker Lee Seok-hyun stated that as a resident of Incheon, he had come to believe that the party was declining when he saw Lee Jae-myung, who was originally from Incheon, running for Seoul mayor and former lawmaker Song Young-gil, also from Incheon, running for Incheon’s Gyeyang District. Candidate Choi Sung, who had been deemed unfit during the party’s candidate assessment process, expressed fear over the establishment of a new party led by Lee Nak-yeon and claimed that because of him, Lee Jae-myung would not be able to become president.

Controversial Remarks and Criticism

Some supporters went as far as making highly critical remarks during the event. Columnist and former professional wrestler Kim Nam-hoon mentioned the knife attack incident involving Governor Lee Jae-myung, stating that the unprecedented decline in popularity was a result of that incident. He sarcastically commented on Governor Lee’s schedule, which seemed to revolve around hospitals and courts, questioning how leaders of other parties could be so pleased about it. Furthermore, despite the interference from passionate supporters of Lee Jae-myung, a song with lyrics conveying a message of moving forward without regrets played at the event.

Party Leadership’s Response

The party leadership promptly responded to the situation. Kang Seon-woo, spokesperson for the Democratic Party, held an unscheduled briefing and urged for a stern response to the low-quality and hateful remarks made by Lee Nak-yeon’s supporters. Spokesperson Kang criticized the supporters’ inhumane remarks, including the mention of the knife attack on Governor Lee Jae-myung, emphasizing that even the opposition party would not engage in such overt ridicule. Moreover, the spokesperson expressed regret over the fact that those who had criticized Lee Jae-myung’s leadership and his supporters’ strong remarks were now condemning fellow party members and resorting to extreme investigations. Spokesperson Kang called for a firm response from Lee Nak-yeon regarding the supporters’ slanderous and hateful remarks.

Lee Nak-yeon’s Statement and Conclusion

Lee Nak-yeon also released a statement, urging his supporters to exercise caution. He acknowledged the existence of offensive remarks made towards Lee Jae-myung during the resignation event and expressed deep regret. He conveyed his apologies to both Governor Lee Jae-myung and the Democratic Party, emphasizing the need to prevent such unfortunate incidents from happening in the future. He concluded by stating that maintaining dignity in any situation is the right course of action.