[Comprehensive] Kim Eo-jun Criticizes Saengtaetang Restaurant Report as "Personal Attack and Insult"... Opposition Calls Him "Democratic Party Mouthpiece"

Kim Eo-jun "Why do ordinary people get hit so meanly... and for a specific candidate"
People Power Party "A heinous act of privatizing public broadcasting as a public asset and handing it over to power"

Broadcaster Kim Eo-jun Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] Kim Eo-jun, a broadcaster with a 'pro-ruling party' (親與) stance, strongly criticized the media that reported the identity of the 'Saengtaetang restaurant' witness who claimed to have seen Oh Se-hoon, the People Power Party's Seoul mayoral candidate, during the land survey of Naegok-dong in 2005, saying, "Why do you attack ordinary people who courageously testify as they experienced, heard, and know the facts as they are?"

On this day, on TBS Radio's 'Kim Eo-jun's News Factory,' Kim said, "It is a despicable lynching to insult, threaten, and retaliate against ordinary people by exposing their identities just because they gave testimony unfavorable to a specific candidate." He added, "If there is a dispute, it should be settled based on the facts. Why do you so cowardly attack ordinary people who cannot defend themselves? And all for a specific candidate?"

He continued, "How can the media do such a thing as to brutally harm ordinary people to protect a specific candidate running for public office?" and emphasized, "When ordinary people, who are vulnerable, talk about political issues they know, isn't it the media's role to protect the whistleblowers on their side?"

Kim reiterated, "Exposing identities to insult, silence, retaliate, and scare others from coming forward is truly despicable," and said, "You probably have no shame at all."

People Power Party Floor Leader Joo Ho-young is speaking at the party floor strategy meeting held at the National Assembly on the morning of the 6th. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, the People Power Party strongly opposed Kim Eo-jun on the previous day (6th), accusing him of repeatedly airing malicious anonymous interviews targeting candidate Oh.

Kim Cheol-geun, spokesperson for Oh Se-hoon's campaign headquarters, said in a statement, "Is this a broadcast that serves as a 'ruling party explanation broadcast' for issues unfavorable to the ruling party and a 'negative special broadcast' attacking the opposition?"

He added, "TBS, which airs such disgraceful broadcasts, receives 30 billion won annually from Seoul citizens' taxes," and claimed, "Behind this propaganda broadcast is the Democratic Party, which controls Seoul City."

At the party floor meeting on the same day, floor leader Joo Ho-young demanded, regarding the interview with the Saengtaetang restaurant father and son, "The Election Commission should immediately begin reviewing whether this constitutes a violation of election laws for conducting a 'say anything' style interview."

Joo pointed out, "The interview aired on the 2nd, when early voting began, and it was highly malicious as it aired only one-sided statements without giving a chance for rebuttal."

Regarding the ruling party's claim that the Saengtaetang restaurant owner's son canceled an interview on the 5th due to threats from the People Power Party, Joo said, "It is a misinterpretation to twist a cautious suggestion," and rebutted, "It was advice hoping that there would be no difficulties related to the testimony afterward."

On the 5th, Lee Jong-bae, chairman of the Policy Committee, criticized the appearance of five anonymous interviewees discussing the People Power Party candidate, calling it "an outrage where public broadcasting, a public asset, was privatized and handed over to power," and stated, "It has been confirmed that they are the Democratic Party's mouthpieces."

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