Ryu Ho-jeong: "The ruling party made a cowardly decision, leaving it to the party members' rights... They should be ashamed"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Wondara] Ryu Ho-jeong, a Justice Party lawmaker, criticized the Democratic Party of Korea for pushing to amend the party constitution and hold a vote among party members to field candidates in next year's Seoul and Busan mayoral by-elections, calling it "cowardly" and "hypocritical."

On the 20th, Ryu pointed out on her Facebook post, "The Democratic Party has virtually decided to field candidates in the Seoul and Busan mayoral by-elections in April next year. Seoul and Busan are places where by-elections were triggered due to 'sexual harassment' scandals involving Democratic Party-affiliated local leaders."

Ryu emphasized, "'Article 96, Paragraph 2 of the Democratic Party's constitution stipulates that in such cases, 'no candidate shall be recommended for the relevant electoral district.' This rule was established when President Moon Jae-in was the party leader, and Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae criticized the same behavior by the Liberty Korea Party at that time as 'shamelessness'."

She continued, "This is a typical case of 'right now is right, back then was wrong.' Is the party walking into the trap of hypocrisy on its own feet? Leaving this cowardly decision to the party members makes the Democratic Party cowardly," she criticized.

Addressing Lee Nak-yeon, the Democratic Party leader, who said, "It is the duty of a responsible political party to face the judgment of citizens through candidate nomination," she said, "The duty of a political party should be the obligation not to nominate, rather than the exercise of the right to nominate. It's a bizarre statement."

She also addressed Kim Jong-cheol, the Justice Party leader, who said, "Since it has entered a phase where party members decide, I will not comment further," saying, "My message, added with affection and anger, may end as an empty cry amid ridicule and criticism. Still, they should 'know shame.'"

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