"Today, no talisman?" question... Yoon Seok-yeol: "If it were a talisman, would I have come out with it on my palm?"

Yoon Seok-yeol Apologizes for Controversy Over Palm 'Wang (王)' Character
"Apologize to the Public... Supporter Wrote It as a Sign of Encouragement"

On the 1st, former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol appeared on an MBN debate, with the character '왕 (王)' written on the palm of his hand. Photo by MBN YouTube channel capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Park] Yoon Seok-yeol, the presidential pre-candidate of the People Power Party, apologized for the so-called 'palm Wang (王) character' controversy, saying, "It was my fault for not taking it seriously as a form of support. I apologize to the people."

On the 5th, during the 6th debate of the People Power Party presidential primary hosted by KBS, Yoon explained that the use of the 'Wang' character was not related to shamanistic or divinatory meanings in response to questions from competing candidates.

During the debate, former Board of Audit and Inspection Chairman Choi Jae-hyung pointed out, "The controversy over the explanation of the palm 'Wang' character continues," to which Yoon responded, "Would I have written it?" and added, "Many people saw it. Broadcasting officials also saw it."

When Choi asked, "Was it the same person who wrote it all three times?" Yoon replied, "I think so," and explained, "Several people keep coming to our apartment. Twice it was written small, and the third time it was written large. I tried to erase it from the car, but it wouldn't come off."

Assemblyman Hong Joon-pyo criticized that the palm 'Wang' character controversy surrounding Yoon was reported by foreign media, causing international embarrassment. Yoon responded, "I apologize to the people." When Hong asked, "No talisman today, right?" Yoon retorted, "If I thought it was a talisman, would I have gone around with it on my palm?"

Former Assemblyman Yoo Seung-min mentioned a specific diviner's name and asked about suspicions in political circles that Yoon is close to diviners. Yoo said, "Do you know Cheongong Sunim? In an interview with a certain journalist, he said he was Yoon Seok-yeol's mentor." Yoon replied, "I know him, but calling him a mentor is an exaggeration."

Yoo then said, "There are rumors that Yoon's wife and mother-in-law often meet with diviners," to which Yoon responded, "I don't meet such people often," adding, "I don't know what my mother-in-law does, but many Korean women do go to see fortune tellers."

Meanwhile, Yoon was caught with the Chinese character 'Wang' written on his left palm during the 3rd to 5th debates, sparking controversy. In response, Yoon's camp explained in interviews with Yonhap News and other media on the 3rd, "The palm writing is not related to the king, president, regime change, or any shamanistic meaning," and added, "It was written by a grandmother living in the same neighborhood as an enthusiastic supporter."

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