Hwang Kyo-ahn's 'Words' Shaking the Future United Party: "Not a Slip of the Tongue but a Matter of Perspective"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Cheol-eung] Hwang Kyo-ahn, leader of the United Future Party, is emerging as a key variable in the 21st general election due to his 'words.' There are analyses suggesting that his repeated verbal blunders cannot be seen as mere mistakes.

On the first official day of the election campaign on the 2nd, he was criticized for body-shaming after saying about the ballot paper, "Short people can't even hold it with their own hands." The day before, regarding the Nth Room case, he said, "There can be different judgments about people who entered the room out of curiosity and then quit," but later explained, "I was only making a general statement that various considerations are needed in sentencing from a legal perspective." Earlier, he was also criticized for saying, "In 1980, there was some kind of incident."

On the 2nd, Hwang had a private dinner meeting with Kim Jong-in, the general election committee chairman, where the issue of Hwang's expressions might have been discussed. Kim is known to have expressed concerns about the Nth Room remarks in other private settings.

Professor Lee Jun-han of the Department of Political Science and Diplomacy at Incheon National University said, "Calling it a slip of the tongue is a superficial interpretation; rather, it should be seen as an expression of his perspective on society and worldview," adding, "In the case of the Nth Room remarks, it seems to reflect a legal professional's viewpoint rather than a politician's, stuck in a weak legal perspective on past internet crimes against women."

He continued, "It shows an inability to keep up with the current era's trends regarding crimes against women and subtly reveals a lack of empathy. This will create a very negative image among female voters."

Hwang's Facebook post stating "There is almost no infection within churches (regarding COVID-19)" was also criticized as inappropriate. Hong Hyung-sik, director of Hangil Research, said, "As the election approaches, surveys show a decrease in respondents identifying as progressive and an increase in conservatives, yet the United Future Party's support rate is not rising, partly due to Hwang," adding, "In politics, it is an unspoken rule not to directly mention religion, so the fact that such remarks were made shows he still seems lacking as a politician."

He added, "If Hwang's verbal blunders continue, there will inevitably be limits to the United Future Party's ability to attract moderate and conservative votes. From the party's perspective, it would be an effective strategy for Kim Jong-in, the general election committee chairman, to lead overall, while Hwang focuses on Jongno."

There is also an analysis that it is unnecessary to overinterpret Hwang's remarks. Professor Shin Yul of the Department of Political Science and Diplomacy at Myongji University said, "It is unclear whether these are slips of the tongue, and making such assumptions during an election is risky," adding, "What matters is how he handles it, and his immediate apologies show improvement compared to before."

He also said, "Due to COVID-19 and the collapsing economic situation, Hwang's words are unlikely to escalate significantly. Above all, this general election will be most importantly influenced by the evaluation of the current administration."

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