"Embarrassed for the kids, hope they stop fighting" Gangster, dog apology, sociopath controversy [Seunggon Han's Political Notebook]

Presidential Candidates Lose Pledge Competition...Various Allegations and Controversies Surrounding Candidates Lead to Verbal Battles

Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate and Governor of Gyeonggi Province, is responding to questions during the National Assembly Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee's audit of Gyeonggi Province held at the Gyeonggi Provincial Government Office in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province on the 20th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] "They fight all the time, I don't know what they're doing." , "Gangsters and sociopaths, this 'dog apple' thing is frustrating."

As the presidential election approaches, instead of fierce competition over policies and pledges, unexpected controversies involving gangsters, sociopaths, and 'dog apple' have arisen, deepening voters' sighs. While it may be an unavoidable process for verifying specific candidates, there are criticisms that the fatigue and endless disputes make it difficult to decide whom to choose as the presidential candidate.

◆ "If true, he should serve about 10 years in prison..." Opposition focuses attack on Lee Jae-myung's alleged gangster involvement

On the 23rd, the People Power Party launched a concentrated offensive against Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party's presidential candidate, over allegations of receiving money from gangsters.

Kim Ki-hyun, the floor leader, mentioned Lee's 'large bribe from gangsters' suspicion in a post on his Facebook, emphasizing, "Since this is an allegation against a leading ruling party presidential candidate, a swift, fair, and strict investigation must reveal the truth." He added, "Last week at the National Assembly audit, there was even a revelation that Lee received 2 billion won from gangsters," and claimed, "Although it is still at the suspicion level, if true, it is a serious matter that warrants about 10 years in prison."

In response, the Democratic Party announced on the 22nd that it had filed a complaint with the prosecution against lawyer Jang Young-ha, who raised the gangster involvement allegations against Lee Jae-myung, for violating the Public Official Election Act and other charges. The Democratic Party stated in the complaint that "Lawyer Jang publicly disclosed false facts about candidate Lee with the intent to prevent his election and revealed false information to damage his honor."

On the morning of the 23rd, lawyer Hyun Geun-taek, who appeared on MBC Radio's 'Politician Insider,' and Won Hee-ryong, a preliminary presidential candidate from the People Power Party and former governor of Jeju Province, engaged in a heated debate. Photo by Politician Insider YouTube

◆ "Are you threatening now?" , "Take legal action" Lee Jae-myung 'sociopath' remark controversy

A verbal spat broke out between Lee Jae-myung's side lawyer Hyun Geun-taek (former Democratic Party senior deputy spokesperson) and former Jeju Governor Won Hee-ryong over remarks related to 'sociopath' made by Won's wife, psychiatrist Kang Yoon-hyung, about Lee. The two raised their voices during the exchange and even stormed out.

On the morning of the 23rd, former Governor Won and lawyer Hyun appeared together on MBC Radio's 'Politicianssa.' The host asked Won, "Many listeners are asking about your wife's remarks. Did you discuss and agree on them?"

Kang, a neuropsychiatry specialist from Seoul National University College of Medicine, appeared on Daegu Maeil Newspaper's YouTube channel 'Gwanpungnu' on the 20th and described Lee as a "sociopath or antisocial."

In response, lawyer Hyun said, "Saying that an opposing candidate has 'sociopathic tendencies, is incurable, antisocial, and lacks empathy for others' is a personal attack." He also cited a 2017 case where a doctor was expelled from the Korean Neuropsychiatric Association for publicly revealing the mental state of a person he had not personally examined, calling it unethical.

Another guest, lawyer Kim Jun-woo, pointed out, "While experts can express opinions, from a third-party perspective, it is questionable whether it is dignified for someone aspiring to be the first lady to use harsh language against the leader of the opposing camp. There seems to be a lack of distinction and discretion between being medical staff and a politician's wife."

Former Governor Won responded, "I don't know much about sociopaths either, but (sociopaths) tend to have reduced sensitivity to others' pain and can be insensitive to others' wounds. If they are aware of it, healing or behavioral improvement is easier from an expert's perspective, but from a professional standpoint, it is a difficult type."

Won also said, "If the association discusses and expels me, I will accept it," and added, "I feel a sense of d?j? vu of publicly threatening the Korea Institute of Public Finance, which criticized Lee's flagship policy, 'local currency'." He questioned, "Why is the camp talking about expulsion by the association?" and said, "False public statements under election law apply to the candidate."

He further stated, "If it is defamation based on truth, I will endure any criminal punishment," but also said, "If accused of defamation based on false facts, a psychiatric evaluation is necessary to determine whether it is false. I am willing to comply anytime." Lawyer Hyun responded, "Spreading false information applies not only to candidates but to all citizens." During this exchange, they shouted phrases like "Finish talking first," "Are you threatening now? Take legal action. Lee Jae-myung should file a complaint himself."

A screenshot of former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol's pet dog's SNS 'Torisutagram' [Image source=Yonhap News]

◆ "Seok-yeol hyung still loves apples the most" Yoon Seok-youl 'dog apple' controversy

Earlier, a so-called 'dog apple' controversy arose involving Yoon Seok-youl, the People Power Party's presidential pre-candidate. Regarding his 'defense of Chun Doo-hwan' remarks, Yoon posted a photo on his Instagram account giving an apple to a dog before expressing regret, sparking controversy. After making the controversial remarks in Busan on the 19th, Yoon expressed regret following demands for apology and explanation from inside and outside the party.

During this process, on the 20th, a post appeared on Yoon's promotional Instagram account. The post showed a black-and-white photo of Yoon doing the traditional first birthday grab at a doljanchi (first birthday party). The Instagram operator introduced that Yoon chose the fruit 'apple' over other items and wrote, "But strangely, Seok-yeol hyung still loves apples the most."

On the next day, the 'Torisutagram,' mainly posting photos of Yoon's pet dog, uploaded a post titled "Memories of Indian apples," introducing Indian apples Yoon received from his parents when he was young. A photo of feeding this apple to the pet dog was also posted. The Instagram operator wrote, "Looks like dad picked Indian apples from the tree again today."

However, this post sparked controversy over whether it mocked calls for an apology over the defense of Chun Doo-hwan remarks, and all these photos have since been deleted from the Instagram account. Criticism also came from within the opposition party. Party leader Lee Jun-seok said on the 22nd, "I woke up this morning to something beyond common sense... it's frustrating." Former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk strongly criticized Yoon on his Facebook, saying, "'Give apples to dogs' revealed his true feelings. Instead of sincere reflection, he is mocking the people."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

◆ "I wish they would stop fighting..." , "Who should I choose?" Citizens' deepening sighs

Given the situation, critical voices from citizens watching this presidential election continue. Especially among parents of teenagers, there are remarks expressing embarrassment. Kim, a 30-year-old office worker, said, "From gangsters to sociopaths to dog apples, it seems hard to find proper policy competition in this election," adding, "It's unfortunate."

Another person in their late 40s, Park, said, "I watch the debates between the candidates with my children, but it seems like all they do is slander and criticize each other." He added, "They spend several minutes just pointing fingers at each other, which is disheartening for the kids."

A young person in their 20s said, "If healthy debates are difficult, I wish they would stop openly pointing fingers and criticize less," adding, "I hope they would fight over policies."

The voters' frustration is also reflected in a survey. According to a poll conducted by Gallup Korea from the 5th to the 7th among 1,000 adults nationwide, 26% answered "undecided" when asked who they think would be a good next president. This means one in four respondents still does not support any candidate.

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