[News Desk]
◀ Anchor ▶
The more tragic aspect is that the ruling People Power Party is either defending or further inciting far-right forces that openly deny democracy.
People Power Party lawmaker Seo Cheon-ho took to the rally stage and incited by saying, “Let’s destroy the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, the National Election Commission, and the Constitutional Court.”
Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo expressed gratitude to Jeon Kwang-hoon, who is leading the far-right rally, and even mentioned the abolition of the Constitutional Court.
Reporter Kim Jung-woo reports.
◀ Report ▶
A sitting People Power Party lawmaker, who took the stage at an anti-impeachment rally, suddenly starts inciting the destruction of state institutions.
[Seo Cheon-ho/People Power Party lawmaker (Yesterday)/(Video Source: YouTube ‘Maeil Newspaper’)]
“The Corruption Investigation Office, the National Election Commission, and the Constitutional Court are committing illegalities and disorders. These must all be smashed, let’s break them down.”
The lawmaker who called for the destruction of the Constitutional Court is Seo Cheon-ho, who served as the second deputy director of the National Intelligence Service under the Park Geun-hye administration.
He was sentenced to two years and six months in prison for the National Intelligence Service ‘comment manipulation’ case, a one-year sentence for the surveillance case of former Prosecutor General Chae Dong-wook, and a six-month sentence for ‘public opinion manipulation’ related to the ‘Hope Bus’ for laid-off Hanjin Heavy Industries workers.
After the inauguration of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration, Representative Seo received two special pardons. Immediately after the announcement of last year’s Lunar New Year special pardon, he declared his candidacy for the general election, stirring controversy within the party over an ‘escape promised pardon.’
Following a sitting People Power Party lawmaker’s direct call to destroy a constitutional body, Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo even proposed the ‘abolition of the Constitutional Court.’
He argues, “If they conduct shoddy trials like when President Park Geun-hye was impeached, the Constitutional Court should be abolished, and a Constitutional Tribunal should be established in the Supreme Court.”
Mayor Hong expressed gratitude to Pastor Jeon Kwang-hoon, who is at the center of far-right rallies.
[Hong Joon-pyo/Daegu Mayor (Yesterday, KBC Gwangju Broadcasting)]
“I am very grateful to Pastor Jeon Kwang-hoon and Jeon Han-gil. They are fighting on the asphalt on our behalf.”
Criticism arose from the opposition.
The Democratic Party demanded the expulsion of Representative Seo Cheon-ho, stating that the People Power Party is “declaring itself a far-right party, inciting violent disobedience to the constitution.”
[Hwang Jung-ah/Democratic Party Spokesperson]
“Is the People Power Party saying that as long as Yoon Seok-yeol is protected, everything will be fine, regardless of what happens to the country? This is crazy, deeply lost in the delusion of the far-right.”
The Innovative Party of Korea also added its voice, saying it is “akin to declaring that they will only look at the ‘asphalt far-right,’ disregarding the state and the people.”
This is Kim Jung-woo from MBC News.
Video Coverage: Seo Hyun-kwon / Video Editing: Park Byung-geun / Video Source: KBC Gwangju Broadcasting
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