'Two Kids Mom vs Tori Mom' and Han Junho... Lee Jae-myung Side Says "A Topic That Should Not Be Touched"

"'Mother of Two' Kim Hye-kyung VS 'Tori Mom' Kim Geon-hee"... Controversy Over Yeo Han-jun-ho's Post
Jung Cheol: "Controversy Is Understandable... Whether It's a Message or Copy, Don't Get Arrogant""

Lee Jae-myung, the spouse of the Democratic Party presidential candidate Kim Hye-kyung (left), and Yoon Seok-youl, the spouse of the People Power Party presidential candidate Kim Gun-hee (right). / Photo by Han Junho, member of the Democratic Party, Facebook screenshot

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] Controversy has arisen after Rep. Han Junho, the chief of staff for Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, posted a comparison of the childbirth status of Lee’s wife Kim Hye-kyung and Yoon Seok-youl, the People Power Party presidential candidate’s wife Kim Gun-hee. Criticism has also emerged within Lee’s campaign that the post was inappropriate.

Copywriter Jung Cheol, who is in charge of messaging for Lee’s campaign, appeared on MBC Radio’s "Kim Jong-bae’s Focus" on the 19th and said, "It’s an overreaction. It’s like a wild pitch in a game, it went a bit too far," adding, "I feel it’s something that shouldn’t have been touched."

Regarding questions about Rep. Han’s post, Jung said, "I don’t know the exact content, but it’s something that could cause controversy. Whether it’s messaging or copy, you shouldn’t be too forceful."

When the host asked, "There are criticisms that harsh language is increasing in politics. What do you think?" Jung replied, "It might relieve the feelings of one’s own camp or the candidate’s close circle, but that doesn’t mean it gains favor or agreement from the public," adding, "It’s more likely to have a negative effect."

He continued, "It feels like ‘fight fire with fire,’ but that’s not a very good method," and added, "I think the public is watching carefully."

A post by Representative Han Jun-ho, the chief of staff for candidate Lee, uploaded on his Facebook on the 17th. After criticism arose that comparing the experience of childbirth was inappropriate, he revised the problematic phrase. Photo by Facebook screenshot.

Earlier, on the 17th, Rep. Han posted on his Facebook mentioning Kim Hye-kyung and Kim Gun-hee, saying, "'Mother of two children' Kim Hye-kyung vs. 'Tori’s mother' Kim Gun-hee." Tori is the name of the pet dog raised by Yoon’s family. The post seemed to emphasize that Kim Hye-kyung has given birth to two children, whereas Kim Gun-hee has no children.

Rep. Han also sarcastically said, "The First Lady also represents the national dignity," and asked, "Should we welcome a family with criminal allegations as the mistress of the Blue House?"

However, the post drew criticism questioning whether the "national dignity of the First Lady" should be judged by whether she has children.

Netizens responded critically, saying, "Does having children raise national dignity?", "What era is this to be judged by childbirth?", and "Such a reckless remark. Apologize."

Criticism intensified especially after it became known that Kim Gun-hee suffered a miscarriage due to shock when the National Intelligence Service comment investigation scandal escalated in the past.

As the controversy grew, Rep. Han has since revised the problematic phrase to "Kim Hye-kyung vs. Kim Gun-hee." However, he has not made any further statements regarding the controversy so far.

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