Lee Hae-chan's 'Vulgar City' Remark Controversy... Ruling Party: "Not the Time to Split Hairs" vs Opposition: "Profanity Against the People"

Lee Hae-chan, during lecture: "We must not make a vulgar city like Seoul"
Joo Ho-young criticizes: "Are you swearing at the people?"
Democratic Party responds: "Ignoring the full context... Don't nitpick words"

Lee Hae-chan, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is giving a lecture on the theme "The Future of Sejong City and the Era of National Balanced Development" at a special guest lecture commemorating the 13th anniversary of Sejong City's groundbreaking and the 200th Policy Academy, held on the afternoon of the 24th at the Yeomin Room of Sejong City Hall. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] The opposition parties immediately criticized Lee Hae-chan, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, for referring to Seoul as a "vulgar city," asking, "Does that mean the votes received by Seoul lawmakers are vulgar votes?" The Democratic Party fired back, saying they were nitpicking. They claimed the political offensive ignores the full context of Lee's remarks.

On the 24th, during a talk concert held at Sejong City Hall on the theme of balanced national development, Lee said, "When you pass by the Han River in Seoul by boat, you have to listen to explanations like 'this apartment costs this much per pyeong (Korean unit of area).'" He added, "Even on the way back, it's nothing but apartment explanations."

He continued, "If you go to places like the Seine River in France, there are historical sites like Notre-Dame Cathedral, which are major tourist attractions. Listening to them, you understand how France has lived," and argued, "We only have apartments along the Han River with prices per unit, and we must not create such a vulgar city."

He further emphasized, "We need to build a safe, dignified, and culturally mature city, but Sejong City wasted its first 7 to 8 years," stressing the need to complete Sejong City as the administrative capital.

However, regarding Lee's use of the term "vulgar city," the United Future Party criticized in a statement on the 25th, "Are the votes received by Seoul Democratic Party lawmakers in the general election, with overwhelming support, vulgar votes?"

Spokesperson Kim said in the statement, "If neither this nor that, it seems like a new real estate policy trying to cover up policy failures with verbal bombs," adding, "The shameful remarks of the ruling party leader who divides even this small land of Korea, our party wants to apologize to the people on their behalf."

Joo Ho-young, Floor Leader of the United Future Party / Photo by Yonhap News

On the 26th, Joo Ho-young, floor leader of the United Future Party, wrote on his Facebook, "The ruling party leader who does not hesitate to utter profanity toward the people and call Seoul 'vulgar,' and the ruling party lawmakers who fiercely criticize the so-called 'media-prosecutor collusion' investigation committee, should all be ashamed of themselves."

He added, "This is not a time to bang on the window with an unexpected administrative capital relocation," emphasizing, "If they thought the people would be deceived, that is truly something to be sorry and ashamed about."

The Democratic Party countered that the opposition is highlighting only specific remarks without considering the full context of Lee's statements. The Democratic Party's Public Relations Office issued a statement on the day the "vulgar city" controversy arose, explaining, "Lee's remarks were intended to make Sejong City a dignified city," and "expressed regret over the reality where Seoul is evaluated only by housing prices and property values."

Additionally, Democratic Party spokesperson Song Gap-seok said in a briefing on the 26th, "Lee's lecture in Sejong City was aimed at communicating with the public on balanced national development and completing the administrative capital," and criticized, "The United Future Party ignores the full context of the lecture and only focuses on specific remarks to diminish their meaning. Now is not the time to nitpick."

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