Hong Jun-pyo vs Jeong Jin-seok Verbal Clash... "Party Should Be Disbanded" vs "Pre-modern Thinking, Disgusting"

Former Liberty Korea Party leader Hong Joon-pyo held a press conference at his election office in Yangsan, Gyeongnam on the 12th, announcing his position regarding his candidacy for the National Assembly election. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Yeon-ju] Independent elected representative Hong Jun-pyo and Future United Party lawmaker Jeong Jin-seok engaged in a heated debate over the 'Kim Jong-in Emergency Response Committee.'

On the 29th, Hong held a press conference at Daegu Seomun Market, stating, "I am the mainstay," and strongly criticized former general election campaign committee chairman Kim Jong-in and others, saying, "It is outrageous that mere transient people act as the owners of the party."

He added, "It is embarrassing and regrettable to bring in an outsider over eighty years old with a history as a bribery broker and cling to them," and argued, "If the party lacks such self-sustaining power, the party should be dissolved."

Regarding lawmaker Jeong, he said, "It is regrettable to see someone who came from the United Liberal Democrats, attached to MB (former President Lee Myung-bak) and Park Geun-hye, now attaching to Kim Jong-in," and criticized, "People like this coming in and causing trouble means this party has no future."

On the same day, Hong also posted on his Facebook, saying, "Ignoring the 80% public opposition to the Kim Jong-in Emergency Response Committee based on big data, reopening the rejected committee agenda at the standing national committee and national committee to insist on extending Kim Jong-in's term by one more year is a leadership that failed the general election," and added, "It is hard to understand how far they intend to ruin the party."

He continued, "It is truly astonishing what they are aiming for by dragging politics to such a dead end," and added, "The anger of party members and the public will not forgive the behavior of such a disastrous leadership."

Jin Jeong-seok, member of the United Future Party. Photo by Yonhap News

On the same day, lawmaker Jeong counterattacked Hong through his Facebook.

Jeong criticized Hong's comparison of himself to a 'mainstay,' saying, "I am fed up with the archaic thinking that treats a public party as personal property, talking about being the mainstay."

He questioned, "Is this party supposed to be consumed by Hong's presidential ambitions? Are the members of our party mere props on Hong's presidential path, people without roots? Who is the mainstay and who is the owner? The mainstays of this party are the party members and comrades nationwide and the public," he rebutted.

He added, "Right after the general election, Hong told me over the phone, 'There is no one like Kim Jong-in. We must have him as the emergency response committee chairman. Jeong, please promote Kim Jong-in,'" and fiercely attacked, "Did he not know at that time that Kim Jong-in was involved in the Donghwa Bank corruption case? Hong himself confessed to extracting a bribe confession from Kim Jong-in when he was a prosecutor. Was Hong such a turncoat and cowardly person?"

He concluded, "He should first apologize to party members and supporters for the outrageous remarks he has made so far."

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