Former lawmaker Park Yong-jin expressed feeling like “a fool once again” and urged Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, to clarify his recent comments. Lee had described those who voted in favor of the parliamentary motion for his arrest in the past as a group trading illicitly with “violent groups (the prosecution)” during a recent YouTube broadcast.
On the 7th, Park took to his Facebook to express surprise at Lee’s remarks during the “Maebul Show,” questioning why Lee would provoke controversy about past events after having sought a message of unity through meetings with various party members. He mentioned it was incomprehensible why Lee would make comments disrupting the unity within the party that he himself had worked to foster.
Park also criticized Lee’s remarks as hurtful to party members and supporters who, despite suffering exclusion and rejection in the last general election, chose to stay in the party and continue to support the Democratic Party’s victory.
He mentioned that Lee’s statements posed challenges for those expecting concrete follow-up actions towards unity after Lee’s outreach to non-mainstream party members, and stated that internally divisive forces wanting chaos within the Democratic Party would find benefit in the current situation.
Park emphasized the necessity for Lee to clarify his statements and actions to prevent further escalation of conflict and division for the overwhelming victory of both the public and the Democratic Party.
Previously, Park had supported Lee’s outreach efforts by accepting an invitation for a luncheon meeting on February 21. During that meeting, Lee expressed a desire to create a larger role together, and Park reciprocated by committing to work towards the Democratic Party’s victory.
However, Lee’s recent comments appear to have stalled the party’s unification efforts. On the “Maebul Show” YouTube channel aired on the 5th, Lee speculated that the large number of defection votes in the second parliamentary motion for his arrest in September 2023 was due to a conspiracy by Beemyeong (non-Lee Jae-myung) factions. He claimed, albeit without evidence, that it was orchestrated based on demands made unofficially within the party corresponding to what the prosecution purported during investigations.
Former Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum also critiqued Lee’s comments in an interview with News1, saying they were “truly incomprehensible” and constituted “serious defamation” against individuals who were excluded during the last general election nominations.
On CBS Radio’s “News Show,” former lawmaker Kim Doo-kwan argued that Lee’s comments should not be dismissed lightly and advised he should apologize.
Former Democratic Party lawmaker Woo Sang-ho remarked on SBS Radio’s “Political Show” that Lee’s comments were a mistake or mishap rather than intentional and stressed the need for a swift resolution, suggesting they deviated from his recent unity-driven actions.