As Soon as He Announced Candidacy in Jongno... Hwang Kyo-ahn Faces Scrutiny Over Historical Awareness

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Hwang Kyo-ahn, leader of the Liberty Korea Party, who announced his intention to run in Jongno, has become embroiled in a 'denigration controversy' after referring to the May 18 Democratic Uprising as a 'certain incident.'

According to political circles on the 11th, Hwang made the remark while visiting his alma mater, Sungkyunkwan University, the day before and talking with the owner of a nearby snack bar: "In 1980, there was some kind of incident. I remember the school was closed then." This appears to refer to the nationwide school closures during the May 18 Democratic Uprising.

The May 18 Democratic Uprising was once called the 'Gwangju Incident,' but after democratization, the official name became the 'Gwangju Democratic Uprising.' Therefore, Hwang is criticized for using an inappropriate expression. Although he is the party leader, he has only been in politics for a year and has little experience campaigning, which seems to have revealed his lack of experience.

Voices criticizing his lack of historical awareness also followed. Kim Dong-gyun, deputy spokesperson of the Justice Party, said, "This brief remark clearly reveals what kind of life Hwang has led," and added, "It is absurd that someone like Hwang, who does not know the history of democracy in the Republic of Korea, enters mainstream politics." Kim Jeong-hyun, spokesperson for the Alternative New Party, also said, "We cannot help but ask whether Hwang's historical awareness still remains stuck in the 'Gwangju Incident' as defined by the new military regime."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.