Jin Joong-kwon "President Talk... Trembling" vs Lee Won-wook & Shin Dong-geun "Pure Hostility... Regrettable and Saddening"

Jin Joong-kwon "Shocked by Moon three times"
Shin Dong-geun "Jin Joong-kwon, only hostility in his rant"
Lee Won-wook "Reminds me of the 'Wizard of Oz' line 'Humans babble without thinking'"

Former Dongyang University Professor Jin Joong-kwon. The photo shows former Professor Jin giving a lecture on the topic "Talking about Korean Society: The Future of Ideology, Generation, and Culture" at a seminar hosted by the Economic and Social Research Institute at Choi In-ah Bookstore in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 2nd of last month. Photo by Yonhap News.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ga-yeon] Former Dongyang University professor Jin Joong-kwon, who engaged in a heated debate with Democratic Party Supreme Council candidates Lee Won-wook and Shin Dong-geun, raised his voice in criticism, saying, "Anyway, whenever the president is mentioned, everyone gets all worked up."

On the 9th, Jin posted on his Facebook, "Is there no freedom to be shocked? I just asked a question and gave a straightforward answer, so I don't understand why they are so upset," he said.

He pointed out, "If that's the case, they should just appoint me as the presidential mood security chief. The country is in this state because lawmakers are stalking ordinary voters," adding, "Both Representative Shin and Representative Lee interfere with others' freedom to be shocked but conveniently omit mentioning the three reasons that actually shocked me."

He continued, "In the end, they are attacking the messenger, not the message. Of course, their agitation is a feudal loyalty reaction because they dared to touch a taboo, but there is a deeper reason behind it," emphasizing, "These three tendencies are not just the president's personal issues. They are general tendencies later confirmed to appear in the party, government, and Blue House as well."

Jin reiterated the previously mentioned remarks by President Moon Jae-in about 'seasoning,' 'thank you, Sewol ferry,' and 'debt of the heart.'

He claimed, "'Ddaekae-moon' (a derogatory term for President Moon's supporters) seasoning is a weapon frequently used by pro-Moon factions within the Democratic Party," adding, "It first appeared during the local elections. At that time, candidate Jeon Hae-cheol joined them in attacking candidate Lee Jae-myung, and recently it was used to oust lawmaker Geum Tae-seop."

He continued, "There is a tendency to associate unfortunate incidents with inappropriate contexts," saying, "Representative Park Joo-min sometimes uses the title 'Sewol ferry lawyer' as part of his career. Thinking that the badges hanging heavily on his chest will later become medals used in his political career makes me somewhat uncomfortable."

He also criticized, "They cannot distinguish between public and private matters," stating, "Judgments vary depending on personal relationships rather than public interest, so 'double standards' and 'guilty for your side, innocent for my side' have become the new standards of justice in this society."

He added, "Even after logically pointing this out, Representative Shin will only resort to personal attacks again," questioning, "If the train and the tracks are separated, it's common to say the train 'derailed' from the tracks. Why do they blame the tracks after zigzagging with double standards and then derailing?"

Shin Dong-geun, a candidate for the Supreme Council of the Democratic Party of Korea, held a meeting at the Jeonbuk Provincial Council on the 7th and expressed his ambition, saying, "I will be a stepping stone for the success of the Moon Jae-in administration and the development of Jeonbuk." Photo by Yonhap News

Earlier on the 8th, Jin revealed the reason he turned negative toward President Moon, saying, "Not long ago, Representative Shin asked me, 'Last year you said the problem was not President Moon but his surroundings, so why have you changed your words now?'"

On that day, Jin opened his post on Facebook by saying, "There were three major times I was shocked by the president."

He said, "The first was when he justified the violent behavior of extreme supporters during the presidential candidate debate as 'seasoning that enriches democracy,'" adding, "At that time, I thought something was strange about him, but since it was just the beginning of the 'ddaekae-moon' mischief, I let it slide."

He continued, "The second was when I saw the message 'Sorry, thank you' written to the children in the Sewol ferry guestbook," saying, "I understand the meaning of 'sorry,' but how should I interpret 'thank you'? I still haven't found a rational way to interpret that phrase."

He added, "The decisive moment was the third. At the president's New Year's press conference earlier this year, he said, 'I owe a debt of the heart to former Minister Cho Kuk,'" pointing out, "The moment I heard that, everything became clear. It was not the surroundings but the president himself who was the problem."

He said, "If you say everything happening right before your eyes has nothing to do with the president, then the president is nothing but a scarecrow," adding, "Of course, all of this might be the mischief of close aides. But at the same time, it is reasonable to see it as the president's intention," strongly criticizing.

He continued, "He said he would create a world without cheating and privilege, but they are trying to institutionalize the cheating and privilege they enjoy," claiming, "Cho's hypocrisy is not individual hypocrisy but the hypocrisy of the regime, the Democratic Party, and the president. That's why they risked their lives to protect him."

Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Won-wook. On the morning of the 19th of last month, Lee declared his candidacy for the Supreme Council member at a press conference held at the National Assembly Communication Office in Yeouido, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

In response, on the 9th, Representative Shin posted on his Facebook a post titled 'Passion for Jin Joong-kwon,' criticizing, "Former professor Jin is consumed solely by ill feelings and burning hostility toward his friend 'Kkugi' (former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk). Since he confirmed that the president has affectionate feelings for Kkugi, he has become an object of hostility as well."

Shin said, "He looks at the world through glasses with a rough lens of hostility toward Kkugi. His judgment of the world is simplified to 'Is it good or bad for Kkugi?'" adding, "That's why Jin Joong-kwon doesn't see the prosecutors' vested interests."

He mentioned former lawmakers Kim Moon-soo and Cha Myung-jin, saying, "Thirty years ago, they were labor activists and progressives, but now they wave the Taegeukgi flag in the square. Once derailed, where they end up might be unimaginable now."

On the same day, Representative Lee also criticized Jin by quoting a passage from the movie 'The Wizard of Oz' on his Facebook.

Lee quoted, "In The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy asked the Scarecrow, 'How can you talk without a brain?' Then the Scarecrow replied, 'Don't humans babble without thinking?'" and added, "I suddenly recall the Scarecrow's sharp remark. Perhaps those who remember Jin Joong-kwon's past clarity are lamenting and feeling regretful because of this."

Jin immediately posted another post that day to refute Representative Shin's claims.

Targeting Shin's remark that "Professor Jin is consumed by hostility toward his friend 'Kkugi,'" he said, "Stop the clumsy speculation about 'hostility' and such. If you have questions, just ask," adding, "Life is too short even for love. Don't view the world through a frame of hatred."

After reading the post, Shin shared it on his Facebook the same day and continued the heated exchange. Shin said, "Aesthete Jin Joong-kwon, how could you say what I wanted to say to you like that?" and added, "I'll say just one thing: Reflection!"

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