Difficulties in the People Power Party Debate... Hong Jun-pyo Says "They Look Down on Us Because the Party Leader Is Young"

"A Presidential Candidate Afraid of Debate"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] Hong Joon-pyo, a presidential candidate from the People Power Party, recently commented on the conflicts between party leader Lee Jun-seok and the party's presidential candidates, saying, "Since a young party leader came in, many of the existing members are resisting and looking down on him."

On the 18th, Hong appeared on KBS Radio's 'Choi Kyung-young's Strongest Current Affairs' and responded to the host's question, "How do you view the infighting within the People Power Party?" by saying, "If the representative is elected by party members and the public, even if they are somewhat lacking, people should think about supporting them," adding, "The party leader has not even been in office for two months yet, so shaking things up like this is unacceptable. It should not happen."

When asked by the host whether it was wrong that the debate organized by the Primary Preparation Committee (Gyeongjunwi) was canceled, Hong sharply responded, "How can someone who wants to be a presidential candidate be afraid of debates?"

When the host asked, "Are you referring to candidate Yoon Seok-yeol?" Hong replied, "No, it's hard for me to specify anyone," drawing a line.

Regarding recent controversial remarks by candidate Yoon, such as "120 hours of work per week," "adulterated food," and "no leakage from the Fukushima nuclear plant," Hong criticized, "These are not his usual perceptions; he just couldn't answer sudden questions," adding, "Without a basic understanding of overall state affairs, how can he respond properly? That's why irrelevant comments come out."

When asked how he evaluates candidate Choi Jae-hyung, Hong said, "I really don't know much about him," and added, "There is no material to evaluate him yet, so it's a bit early to make an assessment."

Meanwhile, the People Power Party's Primary Preparation Committee had planned debates on the 18th and the 25th, but they were canceled due to backlash, including claims that it was too early.

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