[Comprehensive] Son of Saengtaetang Restaurant Owner Testifies... Ruling Party: "Innocent Citizen Slandered as a Liar" vs Opposition: "Remember Clothes and Shoes from 16 Years Ago?"

Cancellation of Son of Saengtaetang Restaurant Owner's Press Conference
Ruling Party: "No Citizen Will Vote for a Candidate Who May Be Disqualified Due to Spreading False Information"
Opposition: "'Saengtaetang Story' Has Been Going on for a Month... Feeling Sympathy"

Park Young-sun, the Democratic Party of Korea candidate for Seoul mayor (left), and Oh Se-hoon, the People Power Party candidate for Seoul mayor, are greeting each other at the Korean Broadcasting Reporters Club's invited Seoul mayor by-election candidates debate held on the 5th at the Mokdong Federation of Artistic & Cultural Organizations Hall in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] The allegations surrounding Oh Se-hoon, the People Power Party's candidate for Seoul mayor, regarding land in Naegok-dong, Seoul, appear to be escalating into a dispute over whether he visited a saengtaetang (pollack soup) restaurant. On the 5th, the saengtaetang restaurant reiterated its claim that Oh visited the establishment after completing the surveying of his in-laws' land in Naegok-dong in June 2005. While the ruling party urged Oh to clarify his explanation based on the restaurant's revelations, the opposition party labeled it as 'black propaganda' and responded with rebuttals.

Choi In-ho, the senior spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Korea, pointed out during a briefing at the National Assembly Communication Office that day, "It seems that the People Power Party and candidate Oh do not know how to face the 'truth.' The slander and ridicule against the saengtaetang restaurant owner and his son, who courageously exposed Oh's lies, have gone too far."

He continued, "Seeing how the People Power Party treats citizens who speak the 'truth' unfavorable to them, I cannot help but feel disappointed. They do not hesitate to intimidate whistleblowers. It is truly deplorable," adding, "Oh is branding innocent citizens as liars out of fear that his lies will be exposed. His desperate attempts to hide the truth are utterly shameless."

He also raised his voice, saying, "No citizen would vote for a candidate who uses any means necessary for personal gain, who does not hesitate to brand citizens as liars to cover up his own flaws, and who could be disqualified from election due to spreading false information."

The campaign team of Democratic Party's Seoul mayoral candidate Park Young-sun also launched an attack on Oh. Hwang Bang-yeol, deputy spokesperson for Park's campaign, stated in a commentary that day, "Regarding the testimonies of the saengtaetang restaurant family, Kim Jong-in, chairman of the People Power Party, dismisses them by saying 'It's all planned, so there's no need to pay much attention.' Meanwhile, the party's floor leader Joo Ho-young went further, threatening, 'After the election, all of this will be filtered legally, so I hope you take special care not to be punished while helping candidate Park.'"

Deputy spokesperson Hwang criticized, "The family of the saengtaetang restaurant had been holding their breath but could no longer tolerate Oh's lies, overcoming their fear to speak out. Yet, Oh's side completely ignores not only the vivid testimonies of the restaurant family but also the eyewitness accounts of the surveying team leader from the Korea Land and Geospatial Informatix Corporation, a public enterprise, and other cultivators."

He added, "You can fool some people all the time, and you can fool all people some of the time, but you cannot fool all people all the time."

On the 5th, Oh Se-hoon, the People Power Party candidate for Seoul mayor, attended the Seoul mayoral by-election candidate debate hosted by the Korea Broadcast Reporters Club held at the Mokdong Art Hall in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, and was reviewing materials.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Jin Sung-jun, a member of the National Assembly and head of the Strategic Planning Headquarters in Park's campaign, also posted on Facebook, saying, "Oh Se-hoon's supporters are pouring threats and harassment on the Naegok-dong cultivator and the restaurant owner who are telling the truth," and added, "It is truly deplorable that such outrageous acts are happening in a democratic society."

He further requested, "The police should immediately devise thorough security measures to protect the lives and safety of these righteous people."

Earlier, A, the son of the saengtaetang restaurant owner, had initially announced a press conference at 11 a.m. in front of the city hall main gate but abruptly canceled it. It was reported that A was reluctant to reveal his identity.

Instead of the press conference, A appeared on TBS Radio's 'Kim Eo-jun's News Factory' and reiterated that Oh definitely came to eat saengtaetang in June 2005. A emphasized, "He wore very noticeable white cotton pants at the time."

Regarding why he accurately identified the shoes Oh wore as 'Ferragamo loafers,' A said, "I was also wearing Ferragamo loafers then," adding, "His were slightly larger than mine."

The opposition party questioned the credibility of this testimony and responded. Joo Ho-young, floor leader of the People Power Party, pointed out at the Central Election Countermeasures Committee meeting that day, "Who in the world remembers such detailed things from 16 years ago, like what clothes someone wore and what shoes they had on?" He added, "No matter how urgent it is, I hope candidate Park stops this kind of (black propaganda)."

On the same day, Bae Jun-young, spokesperson for the People Power Party's Central Election Committee, said in an oral statement, "Candidate Park's side should stop the shabby scheme of shaking the future of 10 million Seoul citizens with a 'memory draft' of a restaurant owner that changes 180 degrees in just four days."

He sharply criticized, "Does candidate Park have nothing but 'saengtaetang' to offer the 10 million Seoul citizens throughout the election period? I even feel pity for this 'hypocritical,' 'incompetent,' and 'double standard' regime that has been clinging to the 'saengtaetang story' for a month already."

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