Hataekyung and Won Heeryong also "cut ties with the far right"... Can the United Party achieve a complete breakup?

Party Leadership Clearly Distances from Far-Right Forces
Strong Criticism of Bae Hyun-jin by Ha Tae-kyung and Won Hee-ryong
Ruling Party's 'Sincerity' Questioned... Attention on Whether It Will Spread as Overall Party Perception

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyemin] The United Future Party continues to clearly distance itself from far-right forces. As the party leadership repeatedly draws a line, Representative Ha Tae-kyung and Jeju Governor Won Hee-ryong strongly criticized the extreme right-wing conservative forces who participated in the Liberation Day rally.

On the morning of the 21st, Governor Won harshly condemned former Gyeonggi Governor Kim Moon-soo, former Representatives Cha Myung-jin and Min Kyung-wook, who attended the Liberation Day rally, on KBS Radio's "Kim Kyung-rae's Strongest Current Affairs." He said, "They are people starving for applause," and pointed out, "They seem to want to leave the party and gain even a little media attention." Governor Won strongly criticized, "Such actions rather become obstacles to the country moving in the right direction and to the party gathering public support," adding, "I think we need to diagnose their psychological state."

Governor Won also took aim at Pastor Jeon Kwang-hoon, who led the rally, and Sarang Jeil Church, saying, "If there is love for the people, protecting the safety and lives of those you love is love. What kind of love is this?" He raised the criticism level, saying, "So many people are fighting COVID-19 with their lives on the line. What are they trying to do? This situation has ultimately occurred."

Representative Ha Tae-kyung has been criticizing Pastor Jeon and the far-right forces day after day. On this day, through his Facebook, Ha raised his voice, saying, "Does COVID-19 distinguish between left and right, or decide infiltration based on friend or foe? This is truly a pathetic perception."

He pointed out, "COVID-19 is not a matter of ruling and opposition parties or left-right confrontation, but a matter of public health," adding, "The Jeon Kwang-hoon faction ignored the warnings of the quarantine authorities and held large-scale rallies, becoming a catalyst for nationwide spread. They committed virus terrorism." He then declared, "Now, the old ideological forces must be purged. By expelling the rotten blood and transfusing new blood, conservatism will become healthier and our society will become healthier."

Earlier, Representative Bae Hyun-jin also publicly criticized former Governor Kim Moon-soo for having a scuffle with a police officer who recommended a COVID-19 test, calling it "truly frustrating and regrettable."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Until just before the April 15 general election, the United Future Party had been wavering over how to position itself regarding the far-right conservatives known as the Taegeukgi faction. Most of them blindly supported former President Park Geun-hye and were simultaneously perceived as the loyal support base of the United Future Party.

There were demands within the party to draw a line, but it was not easily resolved. Concerns about losing the "jittoek" (core supporters) and the perception that they could be used to demonstrate strength in street protests were greater. Of course, there were also those who shared the same view. The fact that the Liberty Korea Party (the predecessor of the United Future Party) under former leader Hwang Kyo-ahn was close to them and even helped them gain nationwide fame is a result of these complex factors.

After the crushing defeat in the general election, the current leadership has been steadily sending love calls to the moderate voters. Former Dongyang University Professor Jin Joong-kwon said, "The United Future Party up to the Hwang Kyo-ahn regime played with them. Now they are paying the price," and pointed out, "Since United Future Party members actively participated in the rallies and even current lawmakers showed up, the claim that these rallies have nothing to do with us does not hold."

As the party leadership continues to make 'cut-off' remarks day after day, there is talk that more active explanations and actions are needed. Attention is focused on whether this COVID-19 situation will lead to a 'complete breakup' rather than just a 'temporary distancing.'

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