Kwon Seong-dong "No Jae-seung, We Joined Him Out of Our Own Ambition... Personally Sorry"

"I hesitated, but I pleaded"
"Ultimately, the verification failed... we admit it"

No Jae-seung, Co-Chairman of the People Power Party Election Countermeasures Committee / Photo by O Se-hoon TV YouTube channel capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] Kwon Seong-dong, Secretary General of the People Power Party, expressed regret, saying he feels "personally sorry" about the voluntary resignation decision of No Jae-seung, co-chairman of the joint election countermeasures committee, whom he had recruited. No, known to the public by the nickname 'Bini-jwa,' became embroiled in controversy after it was revealed that he had made extreme remarks on social networking services (SNS) in the past, and ultimately decided to resign.

At a press conference at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 9th, Secretary General Kwon said, "We brought in a young man who was diligently running his own business out of our own ambition, but after various controversies, it appears he is voluntarily resigning because of our ambition," adding, "As a member of the older generation and as someone who pulled a previously uninvolved person into politics, I feel sorry."

Kwon, who had pushed for No's recruitment, said, "Seeing how he conveyed his position persuasively in simple language, I judged that this kind of person would be a great help in the presidential election," adding, "He was hesitant at first, but I persuaded him."

Responding to reporters' criticism that "there seems to be a problem with the talent verification process of the election committee," he said, "We could not look through all SNS posts," but admitted, "Ultimately, we acknowledge that the verification failed."

Kwon Seong-dong, Secretary General of the People Power Party, is answering reporters' questions regarding No Jae-seung, co-chairman of the joint election committee's voluntary resignation, at the National Assembly Communication Office on the 9th. / Photo by Yonhap News

No was criticized as being part of the far-right community known as 'Ilgan Best (Ilbe)' after making derogatory remarks related to Kim Gu, irregular workers, and disaster relief funds in posts on his Facebook page in the past.

Earlier, in May, No shared a YouTube video titled 'The Truth of May 18' on his Facebook and claimed, "The top sanctifier of South Korea. That movement that even enacted a special law to block any discussion. What on earth are they trying to hide?"

One month later, in June, he said, "As an advocate for abolishing regular employment, I sometimes think about what it would be like if the president adopted the slogan 'Opening the era of zero regular employment.'"

In August, replying to a netizen's comment, he claimed, "Kim Gu was a man who killed someone just because they came late for gukbap (rice soup)." He also referred to the COVID-19 disaster relief funds as "dog food," posting, "Let's not become dogs and pigs."

The ruling party strongly criticized No's remarks. Kim Woo-young, spokesperson for the Democratic Party's election committee, said, "The 30-something Mr. No has spewed all kinds of hateful remarks, discrimination incitement, and distorted historical views on SNS," adding, "Candidate Yoon Seok-yeol welcomes him with open arms, assigning him as the first speaker at rallies. His SNS activities are comparable to Ilbe. The profile of recruited figures reveals Yoon's true colors."

Meanwhile, in his resignation statement, No said, "Regarding the controversy over the posts I left on my social media in the past, I should have acknowledged and apologized rather than explained, but my immature heart has not fully met the expectations of the people," adding, "I sincerely apologize to everyone who was hurt by my harsh words."

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