Hong Joon-pyo "Yoon Hee-sook's Resignation Must Be Accepted... Respecting Her Will"

People Power Party presidential candidate Hong Jun-pyo is answering questions during a press conference at the Jeonbuk Provincial Council on the 26th. (Photo by Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporter Kum Boryeong] Hong Jun-pyo, a presidential candidate from the People Power Party, spoke out about Yoon Hee-sook, a party member who has been accused of real estate speculation. Hong stated that Yoon's intention should be respected and that her resignation from the National Assembly should be accepted.

On the 28th, Hong said on Facebook, "I have not said a word about the Yoon incident since it broke out. However, it is not appropriate to turn the debate over a lawmaker's resignation into political strife and ridicule."

Yoon has taken the drastic step of resigning due to allegations of real estate speculation involving her father. However, the ruling party has criticized this as a "resignation show" and continues to denounce it daily. They are even calling for the resignation to be rejected in the plenary session. Kang Byung-won, a Supreme Council member of the Democratic Party of Korea, said the day before, "Yoon, whose family’s illegal real estate transactions have been revealed, has suddenly resigned claiming decency and common sense. If Yoon’s resignation letter is submitted to the plenary session, I will not participate as a prop in this resignation show. Rather, I will take the lead in rejecting Yoon’s resignation proposal."

In response, Hong said, "In conclusion, it is right to hold a plenary session to accept the resignation and allow her to return to the status of a private citizen to undergo investigation by the special investigation team regarding speculation." He added, "The resignation of a public official is a public law act by a private individual, and the expression of intention takes effect immediately; the remaining procedures are merely acts to confirm this. The requirement for a plenary session vote on a lawmaker’s resignation stems from its use as a tool for opposition suppression during past authoritarian regimes, and this remnant still remains in the National Assembly Act."

Hong also emphasized, "This should no longer be glorified or criticized. Those are exactly partisan arguments. It is right to respect Yoon’s own intention."

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