Yoon: "Old-fashioned politics just taking photos" Opposition: "Falsehoods without fact-checking"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] Yoon Seok-yeol, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, was criticized by the Democratic Party for “disrespecting the people and showing poor communication” after some attendees accused him of “just taking photos and leaving” during a meeting with the heads of prosperity associations from cities and counties in Gangwon Province.

Ko Yong-jin, the chief spokesperson of the Democratic Party’s election campaign committee, stated this in a written briefing on the 11th.

Earlier that day, as the final schedule of his 1-night, 2-day visit to Gangwon to gauge public sentiment, Candidate Yoon held a meeting with the heads of prosperity associations from 18 cities and counties in Gangwon Province. Some attendees protested, saying, "We came to the meeting to listen and ask questions, but did you come just to take photos? Are you joking?"

Chief Spokesperson Ko said, "Calling the heads of prosperity associations from Gangwon Province only to take photos and leave is a typical example of politics that disrespects the people."

He added, "It was natural for the attendees to be angry when Candidate Yoon ignored the suggestion from officials to hold a proper meeting and left the venue. They gathered to hear his policies and express their opinions but ended up being reduced to mere photo props," he pointed out.

He further stated, "This is not only a disregard for the heads of prosperity associations in Gangwon but also a disrespect to the residents of Gangwon Province and, ultimately, the people. It also reveals Candidate Yoon’s outdated attitude toward the public."

In response, Lee Yang-su, the chief spokesperson of the People Power Party’s campaign committee, told reporters, "The agenda between the prosperity associations and the party was coordinated," and added, "This issue is an internal complaint within the prosperity association, not a complaint directed at us (People Power Party)." Cha Seung-hoon, the deputy spokesperson of the People Power Party, also issued a statement saying, "The claim that Candidate Yoon refused to hold a meeting and only took commemorative photos before leaving at the Gangwon prosperity association meeting is false," and expressed regret over "the behavior of criticizing the opposing candidate based solely on false claims circulating online without even minimal fact-checking of the situation on site."

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