"Yeo Young-guk Criticizes Democratic Party Repeatedly: 'Only the Shoes Remain from the Ecology Soup During the Election Battle'"

"Election Held Due to Sexual Harassment by Ruling Party-Affiliated Officials"
"If the Democratic Party Had Reflected on Its Failures, the Landscape Would Have Been Different"

Ye Young-guk, leader of the Justice Party, is speaking at the leadership meeting held at the National Assembly on the 5th. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] Yeo Young-guk, leader of the Justice Party, has been continuously criticizing the Democratic Party of Korea. Earlier on the 5th, she raised her voice against the Democratic Party, saying they "blocked the Justice Party's path," and on the 7th, she pointed out, "This election, held amid a sexual harassment scandal involving a ruling party-affiliated organization head, failed to present any vision."

In an interview with BBS Radio's 'Park Kyung-soo's Morning Journal' on the morning of the same day, Leader Yeo said, "The confrontation between the two entrenched parties will solidify their hostile symbiotic relationship, and this election will see a growing need for the rise of a third political force driven by citizens who are fed up with this situation."

She continued, "What stands out during this election campaign are only ecological stew, white pants and shoes, Tokyo apartments, and LCT, none of which relate to the lives of the people," adding, "If the Democratic Party, as the ruling party, had reflected on its various failures and proposed alternatives based on the people's lives, the political landscape might have been different."

Previously, the Democratic Party launched an offensive against Oh Se-hoon, the People Power Party's Seoul mayoral candidate, over the so-called 'Naegok-dong land surveying site attendance suspicion.' Leader Yeo's criticism is interpreted as suggesting that the ruling party should have shown self-reflection on its policy failures instead of engaging in such negative campaigning.

On the morning of the 6th, one day before the April 7 by-elections, Park Young-sun, the Democratic Party of Korea's candidate for Seoul mayor, boarded a bus departing from Guro-dong heading to Gaepo-dong, greeting citizens commuting early in the morning. / Photo by Yonhap News

Leader Yeo also drew a line regarding the classification of the Justice Party alongside the Democratic Party as part of the 'pro-government bloc.' She stated, "The Justice Party is a strong progressive opposition," and criticized, "The current overall situation is the result of the arrogance of the supermajority ruling party holding 180 seats."

She added, "The Democratic Party politically neutralized political reform by creating satellite parties under the mixed-member proportional representation system, further solidifying the entrenched two-party political system," and claimed, "The Democratic Party has lost its image as a reform party."

Meanwhile, this is not the first time Leader Yeo has unleashed criticism targeting the Democratic Party.

Earlier, on the 5th, during a leadership meeting held at the National Assembly, she said, "The Democratic Party blocked citizens' political reform aspirations through deceptive satellite parties during last year's general election," and criticized, "The Democratic Party, which solidified its political alliance with the People Power Party and entrenched vested interests, now shamelessly asks for help without any reflection or apology."

In response, voices expressing 'disappointment' emerged from within the Democratic Party.

Park Young-sun, the Democratic Party's Seoul mayoral candidate, said at a meeting with reporters on the 6th regarding Leader Yeo's criticism of 'shamelessness,' "She probably feels disappointed with the Democratic Party," but emphasized, "I gave my all to support former Justice Party lawmaker Roh Hoe-chan when he ran in Dongjak. When there was a Justice Party by-election, I sincerely helped almost every day without considering gains or losses."

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