Kang Hoon-sik: "Yoon Seok-yeol Likely to Become a Candidate to Be Angry About, Beyond a Bland Candidate"

Former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol visited the National Assembly Communication Office in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 30th of last month. After greeting reporters and others, he responded to their questions. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] Kang Hoon-sik, co-head of the Democratic Party's presidential primary planning team, evaluated former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol by saying, "He does not meet the people's expectations" and "He has become a candidate who provokes anger beyond being a bland candidate."

On the 2nd, Kang appeared on CBS Radio's 'Kim Jong-dae's News Up' and mentioned the sentencing of Yoon's mother-in-law, Choi, saying this. Kang stated, "The issue regarding Yoon's mother-in-law will be reflected in public opinion polls," and added, "The hidden side of Yoon, which was concealed when he was a public official and Prosecutor General, is now beginning to surface."

He continued, "Especially after watching his declaration of candidacy, where he only criticized without constructive criticism of the Moon Jae-in administration, and seeing his obsession with the past in a presidential election that should be about choosing the future, I called him a bland candidate," adding, "Moreover, considering that his mother-in-law was sentenced to three years in prison in the first trial for fraudulent receipt of nursing care benefits, I think he has become a candidate who provokes anger beyond blandness."

Regarding Yoon's statement on his mother-in-law's detention, saying "No one is exempt from the application of the law," Kang criticized it as a "disconnected rhetoric." Kang said, "Compared to the embezzled amount of 2.29 billion won, it is a very convenient position," and "I was very taken aback by how he spoke as if his mother-in-law were a third party."

He added, "In the past, when Yoon was in the prosecution, this matter was not properly investigated," and "However, it was re-investigated and prosecuted at the end of last year, and the first trial was quickly concluded."

This refers to the fact that Yoon's mother-in-law, who is accused of illegally establishing and operating a nursing hospital and fraudulently receiving benefits, was also suspected of the same allegations six years ago but was cleared. The re-investigation began last year in April when Choi, along with then Open Democratic Party leader Choi Kang-wook, Open Democratic Party Supreme Council member Hwang Hee-seok, and lawyer Jo Dae-jin, filed complaints against Choi, then Yoon, and Yoon's wife Kim Geon-hee on various charges.

Regarding this, Kang pointed out, "He should also explain why the investigation was not properly conducted when he was in the prosecution." He added, "Especially for the public, since the Prosecutor General was his son-in-law, they cannot help but suspect that legal justice was selectively applied," and "Considering all these, I think it will be difficult to evade responsibility with just the brief statement that 'no one is exempt from the application of the law.'"

Lee Jun-seok, the leader of the People Power Party, attended the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 1st. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, Kang also criticized Lee Jun-seok, leader of the People Power Party, for his comment on the sentencing of Yoon's mother-in-law, saying, "Since South Korea does not practice the principle of guilt by association, the public will likely judge on this matter," calling it a "misguided remark."

Kang retorted, "Wasn't former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk also thoroughly scrutinized?" and said, "I am not asking Yoon to be held responsible for his mother-in-law's mistakes. As someone who claims to take responsibility for South Korea's next five years, I believe that rather than viewing this as guilt by association, it is the responsible stance of a political party to try to recruit him through even more thorough verification."

Earlier on the 2nd, Yoon's mother-in-law, Choi, was sentenced to three years in prison in the first trial and was taken into custody in court. Choi was prosecuted on charges of fraudulently receiving 2.29 billion won in nursing care benefits from the National Health Insurance Service by establishing and operating a profit-oriented medical institution with three partners for two years starting in 2013, despite not being a doctor.

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