Han Dong-hoon, the former leader of the People Power Party, mentioned a controversial remark made by spokesperson Park Min-young regarding Representative Kim Ye-ji, saying, “We should not express hatred or criticize the disabled and the underprivileged.”
During his appearance on SBS Radio’s ‘Kim Tae-hyun’s Political Show’ on the 19th, Han responded to a related question by emphasizing, “Especially conservative parties have adhered to this principle well. We should carry on that tradition.”
Regarding Park’s comment about him having a ‘flower garden in his head,’ Han briefly responded, “I’ve had a life full of sins.”
About the party leadership’s handling of Park’s issue, Han stated, “How can politics gain support if it doesn’t follow the people’s sentiments?” and expressed his belief that ultimately, they would follow the people’s will.
Previously, during an appearance on a YouTube channel, spokesperson Park questioned why Kim sought a nomination from the People Power Party, remarking, “She wants to enjoy the privileges of a Member of Parliament and benefit as a proportional representative, but she thinks the Democratic Party won’t nominate her because it’s filled with people like Kim Ye-ji.”
Park criticized Kim, saying, “Kim Ye-ji is the one who most frequently disregards the party line. I’ve never seen such an ungrateful person. I believe allocating too many slots to disabled individuals is a problem—there should be a balance. I wish real experts were chosen instead. It seems she expects to be treated with care just because she’s disabled, rather than having a sense of autonomy.”
Park also commented on Han, describing him as having a ‘flower garden in his head,’ and recalled when Kim escorted Han into the party representative’s office, which received significant media attention.
He further stated that treating people as “escort accessories” reflects the “unique hypocrisy of Gangnam liberals and a sense of superiority that treats disabled people as accessories,” which resulted in an unreasonable reelection of a proportional representative.
Following the controversy, leader Jang Dong-hyuk issued a verbal warning to Park to be mindful of his words and actions. On November 17th, Park issued an apology on Facebook for his aggressive expression.
However, Park insisted, “We must move away from the stereotype that labels anything as mere senseless hatred. It’s not about not allocating to the disabled, but ensuring there’s no overrepresentation compared to other groups and not giving undue privileges to specific individuals.”
Meanwhile, Representative Kim, after a press conference at the National Assembly regarding the proposal of a bill to protect children, the elderly, and severely disabled individuals, stated to reporters, “The appropriateness of the stance of both the victim and party colleagues is very different, but personally, it’s hard to understand,” and expressed hope for the party to become one that genuinely accompanies the weak.
When asked if Park had personally apologized, Kim responded, “I haven’t received any such communication.”