"Moon Jae-in Red... Sewol Ferry Corpse Selling" Cha Myung-jin, United Party Nominee for Bucheon Byeong

To Sewol Ferry Victims' Families: "Eat up, steam up, and greedily devour"
One-day Minimum Living Cost Experience... "Lived a 6,300-won Emperor's Life"

Former lawmaker Cha Myung-jin of the Liberty Korea Party (predecessor of the United Future Party). Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] Former Saenuri Party lawmaker Cha Myung-jin, who sparked controversy by making vulgar remarks such as "You are so damn annoying" toward the Sewol ferry victims' families and calling President Moon Jae-in a "red" and a subject for impeachment, has received the nomination from the United Future Party for the Bucheon B constituency in Gyeonggi Province for the April 15 general election.

According to the United Future Party's Nomination Management Committee (Nomination Committee) on the 16th, former lawmaker Cha Myung-jin won the nomination in Bucheon Sosa, Gyeonggi Province, with 50.8%, defeating former Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly member Choi Hwan-sik, who received 45.2%.

Although former lawmaker Cha received a 4-point deduction, he surpassed candidate Choi in the final score. The United Future Party did not disclose the reason for the deduction.

With former lawmaker Cha receiving the nomination for this general election, past controversies over his offensive remarks have resurfaced. On April 15 last year, ahead of the 5th anniversary of the Sewol ferry disaster, Cha posted a harshly critical message about the victims' families on his Facebook page, sparking controversy.

Cha said, "The Sewol ferry victims' families. They have shamelessly exploited the public's sympathy for their family's death, cooked it up, and even picked the bones clean. They are truly so damn annoying."

He also said, "I could overlook them making a living off their children's corpses, but they are trying to shift their responsibility and guilt for their children's deaths onto Park Geun-hye and Hwang Kyo-ahn, who have nothing to do with the Sewol ferry incident." Cha was disciplined with a three-month suspension of party membership rights over this matter.

On October 13, 2018, the 4·16 Sewol Ferry Disaster Families' Association and the April 16 Promise Coalition held a "National Rally Urging a Full Reinvestigation of the Sewol Ferry Disaster" at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

Meanwhile, former lawmaker Cha criticized President Moon Jae-in's Memorial Day speech by calling him a "red." He wrote, "What is the Korean Party (the predecessor of the United Future Party) doing? Isn't this a subject for impeachment? At least one lawmaker with a mouth should shout this: 'Moon Jae-in is a red!'"

Additionally, during his time as a lawmaker, Cha sparked controversy by posting a diary entry about experiencing the minimum daily living expenses, claiming he lived a "luxurious life worth 6,300 won."

At that time, Cha stated, "I bought a cup of rice worth 800 won, a pack of discounted rice noodles for 970 won, a pack of meatballs for 970 won, a can of tuna for 970 won, and a can of peaches for 970 won," adding, "All together, it was 4,680 won, which is enough for three meals." He continued, "This is a meal fit for an emperor, and I am not envious of an emperor's meal. I did not return the remaining money but spent it meaningfully."

After the diary entry was posted, online criticism poured in, saying things like "Quit being a lawmaker and live like an emperor for the rest of your life."

Meanwhile, Lee Seok-yeon, vice chairman of the United Future Party's Nomination Committee, commented on Cha's primary victory, saying, "The primary is a complete national primary. We have no choice but to accept the primary results."

Former lawmaker Cha began his political career as an aide to former Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Moon-soo (currently leader of the Liberty Republican Party). He then succeeded Kim's former constituency (Bucheon Sosa) in 2006 and was re-elected in 2008. He failed in his attempts in the 2012 and 2016 general elections.

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