Ha Tae-kyung: "Hong Joon-pyo, Swearing at Rival Candidates?... Still Showing His True Colors"

Rep. Ha demands apology over harsh criticism of Rep. Hong

Hataek Ha, a presidential primary candidate of the People Power Party, is announcing a pledge related to "free riding" at the National Assembly Communication Office on the 27th. Photo by Dongju Yoon doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Minji Lee] Ha Tae-kyung, a presidential candidate from the People Power Party, demanded an apology on the 4th, saying that his intra-party rival Hong Joon-pyo has been spewing abusive language at him and urging his defeat.

On this day, Ha said through SNS, "I received a report that candidate Hong Joon-pyo is campaigning for Ha Tae-kyung's defeat. I found and checked the video, and it is true. He blatantly ordered 'Please make sure Ha Tae-kyung loses' both in Busan and Gyeongnam," adding, "Please maintain some dignity."

According to the transcript, Hong said at a party member meeting in Uichang, Gyeongnam, that morning, "When you vote for the final four this time, please make sure Ha Tae-kyung loses. When he comes out for the presidential debate, he should talk about himself, but he picks on others' faults, even those that are not faults, and falsely accuses them."

Ha said, "The biggest reason is that candidate Hong, who usually criticizes Cho Kuk vigorously, accused me of being a Cho Kuk supporter, but after hearing my criticism, didn't he correct himself by saying he would change his stance on 'excessive investigation of Cho Kuk' according to the people's will?" He added, "If he had not listened to me and was still supporting Cho Kuk, the moderate voters would not have come to candidate Hong."

Hong was also reported to have harshly criticized his intra-party rivals at a party member meeting in Jin-gu, Busan, the day before, saying, "That guy split our party and went out to cause the party's dissolution," and "The debate should be pleasant, but I am so frustrated by the absurd behavior. I can't even beat him up."

Ha released the transcripts of the two meetings consecutively, saying, "I thought he had improved a bit, but his abusive language remains the same," and "He has forgotten the crushing defeat during the Liberty Korea Party era and his abusive language disease has worsened."

He pointed out, "It is well known that when I advocated for the dissolution of the Liberty Korea Party during the Bareun Party era, it was because of Hong Joon-pyo's abusive language at the time," adding, "The person who dragged the party into the swamp of defeat with abusive language is not reflecting but trying to lose the opportunity for regime change again with abusive language, which is truly frustrating for me."

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