'#Song Young-gil_Resign' Hardline Supporters Fiercely Backlash... Difficult Path for the Democratic Party to Regain 'People's Time'

Song Young-gil Apologizes for 'Cho Kuk Incident' and Faces Calls to Resign...Criticism Pours In
Expert Says "Opinion Detached from Public Sentiment...Negative for the Party"

A social media post urging Song Young-gil, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, to resign. Photo by Twitter

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] The Democratic Party of Korea faced fierce backlash from its hardline supporters on the 2nd after issuing an apology regarding the 'Cho Kuk incident.'

Supporters posted messages on the party members' bulletin board demanding the resignation of Democratic Party leader Song Young-gil, and shared Song's mobile phone number, threatening to send a 'text bomb,' repeating the situation that had previously occurred to first-term lawmakers who criticized the 'Cho Kuk incident.'

Experts pointed out that the hardline supporters are negatively affecting the party by preventing it from expressing a proper voice.

On the same day, Song held the National Assembly's 'National Communication and Public Opinion Listening Project Public Report' and apologized for the issue of former Minister Cho's children's admission corruption. He stated, "I apologize once again for not understanding the wounded hearts of the people and youth," adding, "Regardless of the legal issues concerning former Minister Cho Kuk, the problems related to his children's admissions are issues we ourselves must reflect on and reconsider."

He continued, "Even if helping each other build resumes through internships and mutual favors by attending prestigious universities and having good status and connections does not necessarily violate the law, it was a source of frustration and disappointment for countless young people who cannot even access such a system," emphasizing, "We will establish the values of fairness and justice to become a righteous nation."

However, after Song's apology announcement, strong opposition arose among hardline supporters. Hundreds of posts criticizing Song appeared on the Democratic Party's member bulletin board, including messages such as "Song Young-gil should apologize and resign," "The current leadership truly does not understand the hearts of party members," and "Go to the People Power Party." One member even posted Song's mobile phone number, urging others to send protest messages.

Criticism also continued on social networking services (SNS) and pro-Moon Jae-in online communities. On SNS, the hashtag '#SongYounggil_Resign' appeared, and a petition urging Song's impeachment was posted on the Blue House's public petition board.

Some netizens created and shared images on SNS featuring the phrase "We sincerely apologize for the party leader's inappropriate remarks" alongside a photo of Song.

Song Young-gil, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is greeting at the 'Democratic Party Public Communication and Listening to Public Opinion Results Report Meeting' held on the 2nd in the party leader's conference room at the National Assembly. / Photo by Yonhap News

This so-called 'text bomb' controversy, where fervent supporters bombard party-affiliated lawmakers with criticism, is not the first time within the Democratic Party. First-term lawmakers who pointed to the 'Cho Kuk incident' as one of the causes of the April 7 by-election defeat and called for the party's reflection and apology also suffered similar attacks.

Song and the party leadership reportedly stated that they had 'already anticipated' the backlash from supporters. Nonetheless, they issued an apology regarding the Cho Kuk incident, seemingly feeling the need to resolve ongoing controversies such as double standards and fairness issues before the next presidential election.

Regarding the 'text bomb' issue, Democratic Party lawmaker Park Yong-jin said in a June 1 interview on YTN Radio's 'Hwang Bo-seon's Start of a New Morning,' "I have also started receiving texts again, along with various comments and protest calls. That is also their right," but added, "The leadership must listen to the opinions of our party members as well as the public." He pointed out that if the party is led only by the opinions of supporters, it cannot expect the changes and reforms demanded by the public.

Experts expressed concern that while hardline supporters can have a unifying effect, they also negatively impact the party by preventing it from delivering proper messages.

Political commentator Lee Jong-hoon said, "The fervent supporters of a particular party have both positive and negative aspects. While they help consolidate support, excessive behavior can backfire," adding, "In the case of the Democratic Party, negative effects are prominent. Because the party cannot properly express its voice due to its supporters, it is moving in a direction detached from the public sentiment."

Lee further analyzed, "(Song's apology) seems to have been made out of strategic necessity as the presidential election approaches, aiming to distance from former Minister Cho. However, it did not clearly state what was wrong or who is responsible. It is questionable whether the public felt it was a sufficient apology, and it became ambiguous, possibly due to consideration of the supporters. This too has negative effects."

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