"Being Held Back by Munppa"... Ruling Party Considers Public Apology Over 'Im Miri Column Incident'

Jin Joong-kwon "Calculation that 'Moonppa' cannot be lost ahead of the election"

Democratic Party leader Lee Hae-chan (second from right) is deep in thought during an expanded executive meeting held on the morning of the 14th at the National Assembly Members' Office Building in Yeouido, Seoul. The Democratic Party has faced criticism for filing a complaint with the prosecution under Lee Hae-chan's name against Im Miri, a research professor at Korea University's Korean History Research Institute, who contributed a critical column about the party. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] The Democratic Party of Korea withdrew its complaint against Im Miri, a research professor at Korea University’s Korean History Research Institute, who wrote a critical column about the party, but a fierce backlash is erupting.

Immediately, Professor Im called on the Democratic Party to issue a public apology, saying the party had stifled freedom of expression. However, former Dongyang University professor Jin Joong-kwon stated, "It seems unlikely that the Democratic Party of Korea will issue an official apology." He attributed this to President Moon Jae-in’s fandom.

On the 16th, Jin posted on his Facebook, "Continuing this fight will bring no good, but the party is caught by the 'Moonppa' (a derogatory term for President Moon’s supporters), so even though they know it’s wrong, they cannot correct the error," he argued.

He added, "It’s probably a calculation not to lose the 'Moonppa' ahead of the election," and criticized, "The party cannot persuade those people. Their brains have been hardened by long-term indoctrination, making them repeat the term 'native Japanese collaborators' so much that even their own logic no longer works."

He continued, "It’s the Democratic Party’s own fault," and warned, "Those who toy with the public will eventually taste the consequences. The curse has only just begun."

Former Dongyang University Professor Jin Joong-kwon Photo by Yonhap News

He further stated, "The Moon Jae-in fandom has become a tracking mob that digs up personal information of fellow citizens who make critical remarks about the regime and files complaints," and argued, "This is not a distortion. The presidential candidate called it 'seasoning,' relativizing their harmfulness, which gave supporters the confidence that violence was officially endorsed."

He added, "The party supported by those who try to silence others using power is called the 'Democratic Party.' It’s absurd," and reiterated, "This is not just a problem of the 'Moonppa.' In fact, the Democratic Party has often adopted this method."

He mentioned, "Lee Jae-myung asked, 'Why does the party unnecessarily react to professors’ writings?'" and said, "They were brainwashed by those who even indoctrinated the party secretary-general."

He concluded, "The Democratic Party lost its ability for self-examination and objectivity long ago," and said, "It is not the Democratic Party of Kim Dae-jung or Roh Moo-hyun. Moon Jae-in’s Democratic Party is different. The political communication style of the Democratic Party and its supporters is not liberal. It is totalitarian."

A column by Im Miri, Research Professor at Korea University Institute of Korean History, published in Kyunghyang Shinmun on the 29th of last month. Photo by Kyunghyang Shinmun

◆ Im Miri: "I hope they apologize not only to me but also to the public"

On the 16th, Professor Im urged the Democratic Party to issue a public apology via text message. She said, "The Democratic Party is trying to end the matter with just a statement from the Public Relations Bureau, even though there should naturally be an apology from the party leadership along with the withdrawal of the complaint."

Professor Im emphasized, "I reiterate that the Democratic Party’s disparagement of my claims by focusing on my background is not the attitude of a ruling party responsible for national governance," and added, "This is no different from refusing to listen to critical voices from the public."

She continued, "Many people are raising their voices because this issue is not limited to me," and stated, "I demand that the Democratic Party apologize not only to me but also to the public for suppressing freedom of expression."

Earlier, the Democratic Party filed a complaint on the 5th, under the name of party leader Lee Hae-chan, with the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office against Professor Im and the Kyunghyang Shinmun staff, alleging that the column Im wrote for Kyunghyang Shinmun on the 29th of last month violated the Public Official Election Act.

However, facing strong public criticism, on the 14th, the party withdrew the complaint through a text message from the Public Relations Bureau, stating, "We acknowledge that our complaint was excessive and express regret."

At the time, even within the progressive camp, voices of criticism arose regarding the Democratic Party’s consideration of the complaint. Attorney Kwon Kyung-ae, a member of the Lawyers for a Democratic Society, sarcastically said, "They are practically holding a ritual asking to exclude everyone except the Democratic Party," and raised her voice, "We are Im Miri. Go ahead and sue me too."

Kim Kyung-yul, a certified public accountant and former co-executive director of People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, also posted on his Facebook, "Sue me too," and claimed, "I agree with every point and stroke of Professor Im Miri’s writing. If I were sued by a handful of power, I would repeat Professor Im’s claims as much as I want."

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