Park Gu-yong, Head of Education at the Democratic Party (also a professor of philosophy at Chonnam National University), appeared on the podcast “Maebul Show” on December 8 and mentioned, “Information seems to be spreading among women intending to inform men in their 20s and 30s.”
On February 12, Park resigned voluntarily following controversial remarks about the need to let far-right-leaning youth “wither away on their own,” after defending violence and infiltration incidents at the Seoul Western District Court.
Hwang Jeong-a, a spokesperson for the Democratic Party, stated to reporters after the party’s supreme council meeting that Park expressed his intention to resign to take responsibility for his remarks, which party leader Lee Jae-myung accepted. Hwang mentioned, “Leader Lee noted that Park’s remarks were inappropriate and urged party officials to exercise caution in their words and actions as a result of this incident.”
Previously, on February 8, Park appeared on the YouTube channel “Political Arcade” and, when asked if “extreme right-wing rioters could be persuaded through dialogue,” stated, “It is wrong to think about how to draw them to the Democratic Party. Consideration should be given to how to make them a minority,” adding, “Now is the time to let them wither away on their own.”
Park also commented, “There is a group of youth born in the 1990s known for cultural liberalism, which sees ‘differences as hope.’ Those unable to keep up with this trend, with outdated democratic consciousness, are destroying democracy under the guise of freedom.”
Previously, Park also stirred controversy by making a remark that seemed to view women in their 20s and 30s attending rallies calling for President Yoon Seok-yeol’s impeachment as “tools” to inflate rally size. During the “Maebul Show” podcast on December 8, responding to another guest’s comment suggesting more college students might attend, he said, “I want to mention that women are reportedly attending more, supposedly to inform men in their 20s and 30s.”
This sparked criticism that he objectified citizens attending the rally, and amid growing controversy, Park issued an apology in the video comments section, seeking forgiveness for causing trouble and expressing support and encouragement to the courageous women who turned the demonstration into a festival. At that time, the Democratic Party also warned its key officials to exercise caution in their speech and behavior.