Yoon Seok-yeol "Why talk about superstitions in debates?" vs Yoo Seung-min "Who are you to give advice?" heated argument erupts

Ryu Side "Pointing Finger and Pushing Chest"... Yoon Side "Yoo Seung-min Rejected Handshake"

Former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol and former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min, presidential candidates of the People Power Party. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] It has been reported that Yoon Seok-yeol, former Prosecutor General and presidential candidate of the People Power Party, and former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min had a heated argument after a TV debate.

During the 6th TV debate of the People Power Party preliminary primary held on the 5th, regarding Yoo's question about whether Yoon knew any figures related to shamanism or sorcery, Yoon reportedly protested, saying, "Why are you talking about superstition in a debate? Politics should not be conducted that way."

In the leadership debate that day, Yoo asked Yoon, "Do you happen to know Master Cheongong?" and said, "He is said to be Candidate Yoon Seok-yeol's mentor and is giving him leadership lessons." Yoon replied, "I do know him, but calling him a mentor is an exaggeration. I have met him before."

Yoo persistently asked Yoon if he knew other fortune-tellers besides Cheongong, seemingly probing whether Yoon believed in superstition in relation to the 'palm Wang (王) character controversy.'

According to multiple media reports, right after the debate, Yoon questioned, "Why are you talking about superstition in a debate?" and Yoo retorted, "There have been reports of suspicions; what is wrong with that?" and "Who are you to give advice?" During this exchange, their voices reportedly rose somewhat. Yoo Seung-min's camp claimed that Yoon pointed his finger aggressively at Yoo and even pushed Yoo's chest with his finger.

On the 5th, candidates for the People Power Party's presidential primary preparing for the 6th broadcast debate at the Korean Broadcasting System studio in Yeouido, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News.

In response, Yoon Seok-yeol's camp issued a statement on the 6th denying the reports, saying, "The reports that Candidate Yoon pushed Candidate Yoo's chest are completely untrue." They added, "Candidate Yoon shook hands with Candidate Yoo, saying, 'Senior, thank you for your hard work,' and said, 'Among the people you mentioned earlier, there is a person named Jeongbeop who has many lecture videos, so if you watch them, you can understand who he is.' Then Candidate Yoo rejected the handshake, saying, 'What does that have to do with anything?' and walked away." Jeongbeop is a figure who conducts lectures and is called Master Cheongong.

Yoo's side protested, calling it "distorted facts." Yoo Seung-min's camp stated in a press release, "After shaking hands and greeting Candidate Yoon, Candidate Yoo was about to leave. However, Candidate Yoon suddenly said, 'Jeongbeop is not that kind of person. If you say Jeongbeop is superstition, it could be defamation,' while wagging his finger in front of his face in protest."

They added, "The claim that Candidate Yoo rejected the handshake is a clear falsehood. Stop spreading false information and apologize for wagging your finger in front of Candidate Yoo's face." They said, "The creativity of Yoon Seok-yeol's camp and Candidate Yoon in fabricating nonexistent words and situations is simply astonishing."

Yoon Seok-yeol's camp demanded verification, saying, "Since the microphone was not turned off at the time, this situation should have been recorded," and Yoo Seung-min's camp countered, "Let's check the recording as well as the studio's closed-circuit television (CCTV)."

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