"Independent 'Don't Interfere' Directed at Sim Jae-cheol... Hong Joon-pyo Says It's to Prevent a Second Hwang Kyo-ahn Incident"

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Shim Jae-cheol, Acting Party Leader of the United Future Party, criticized former Liberty Korea Party leader Hong Joon-pyo by saying, "Independents should not interfere in other parties' affairs." In response, Hong stated that this was "to prevent a second Hwang Kyo-ahn incident" and called for innovation among the elected members. This appears to indicate his intention to continue voicing opinions on the party's future course following the 'Kim Jong-in emergency committee' incident.

On the 1st, Hong said on his Facebook, "I opposed the Kim Jong-in emergency committee, prepared to be hurt, to prevent a second Hwang Kyo-ahn incident."

He added, "Last year, when the Hwang Kyo-ahn system was introduced, I warned that if it came in without verification, it could become a time bomb. Nevertheless, former Speaker Park Kwan-yong forcibly pushed ahead with the party convention, effectively eliminating the opportunity for thorough verification. As a result, the Hwang system entered without resistance, bureaucratized the party over the past year, and made it incompetent and powerless, leading to our crushing defeat in the general election."

He continued, "If the Kim Jong-in system comes in, the party's identity will become even more ambiguous than under the Hwang system, and the factional divisions currently plaguing the United Future Party will worsen. Furthermore, Kim Jong-in's arrogance and dogmatism are expected to increase the party's centrifugal forces. Therefore, I could not help but oppose it," he pointed out.

He stated, "The United Future Party is uncertain even from its name about what kind of party it pursues. It is a hodgepodge party created by Hwang's incompetence and Park Hyung-joon's fantasies. I urge the elected members to engage in fierce ideological debates and clearly define the party's identity so that it can be the last guardian protecting liberal democracy, market economy, and strong security by innovating the party."

Hong's Facebook post appears to be a response to Shim's remarks on Facebook the previous day. Shim, acting party leader, said, "Elected member Hong Joon-pyo is an independent. He is not in a position to meddle in other parties' affairs from outside," and criticized, "Everyone knows that Hong initially supported Chairman Kim Jong-in but reversed his stance after pointing out the presidential election defeat and the proposal of the 40s generation leadership theory."

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