Controversial Remarks Continue... Yoon Seok-yeol Becomes a Focused Target

'120-Hour Workweek' 'Daegu Minran' Followed by 'Feminism' Controversy
Ruling Party "Failing to Understand Public Sentiment"
Yoon's Side "Malicious Distortion, Unfamiliar with Political Norms"

Yoon Seok-yeol, a presidential pre-candidate who joined the People Power Party, is attending and giving a lecture at the People Power Party's freshman meeting "Myeongbulheojeon Conservative Season 5" held at the National Assembly on the 2nd. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporters Park Jun-yi and Jeon Jin-young] Former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol is facing all-around attacks. As a leading candidate in the conservative opposition, this is an unavoidable hurdle, but expressions that are either far from common sense or unrefined are intensifying the criticism against him. Attention is also focused on how much the growing Yoon camp and the People Power Party will play the role of allies.

Oh Young-hoon, spokesperson for former Democratic Party leader Lee Nak-yeon’s camp, said on YTN Radio’s ‘Hwang Bo-seon’s Morning Start’ on the 3rd that regarding former Prosecutor General Yoon, "It seems to clearly reveal a situation where diagnosis and analysis of Korean society are not being properly conducted." Former Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun also criticized on BBS’s ‘Park Kyung-soo’s Morning Journal’ that "there is an aspect of completely not understanding the public sentiment."

Bae Jin-kyo, floor leader of the Justice Party, also raised concerns about Yoon’s remarks on ‘healthy feminism’ at a party meeting that day, saying, "Women have been fighting against all kinds of gender discrimination and hatred with blood and tears for feminism from the past to the present," and pointed out, "That feminism is by no means the feminism that former Prosecutor General Yoon permits and defines as healthy."

Additionally, Yong Hye-in, a member of the Basic Income Party, said on KBS Radio’s ‘Choi Kyung-young’s Strong Current Affairs,’ "It seems he is trying to build his qualifications as a presidential candidate by reading classical economics books, but it seems he is not properly digesting them," and criticized, "Basic income is necessary for the freedom to choose." Yong also applied for a ‘head-to-head debate.’

Former Prosecutor General Yoon recently became a topic of controversy not only for remarks such as ‘120-hour workweek’ and ‘Daegu rebellion’ but also for his comments on feminism. The day before, former Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae directly criticized, "It is absurd to say that low birth rates are due to feminism, and it is a ridiculous sophism to link feminism to extending the ruling period." On the same day, Jeon Yong-gi, spokesperson for Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung’s camp, commented, "If you don’t know, it would be better to stay quiet."

Presidential candidate and former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol's election campaign's new spokesperson Kim Byung-min is announcing the campaign staff list at the National Assembly Communication Office on the 25th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

In response to the successive controversies, Yoon’s camp has repeatedly explained that these are political and malicious distortions. Shin Ji-ho, political affairs director of Yoon’s camp, rebutted on TBS Radio’s ‘Kim Eo-jun’s News Factory’ that "Isn’t this a deliberate, political distortion calling substandard food ‘defective food’ to criticize him?" Regarding the feminism remarks, he said, "He was talking about extreme feminism that is hostile and hateful toward men, not general feminism," but also defended, "Healthy feminism can certainly go hand in hand with increasing the birth rate."

The People Power Party also stepped up as Yoon’s ‘backer.’ On that day, three-term lawmaker Jang Je-won joined Yoon’s camp as the general manager of the comprehensive situation room, and lawmaker Lee Yong joined as the chief of staff. The People Power Party is also preparing its own ‘presidential candidate verification team’ and exploring strategies to respond to negative campaigns.

Political affairs director Shin said, "(Former Prosecutor General Yoon) is still unfamiliar with political language," and added, "He must make special efforts not to use words or expressions that could cause misunderstandings in the future."

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