Kim Geon-hee's '7-Hour Call' Broadcast... Democratic Party Watches People Power Party's Public Opinion with Relief

Lee Jun-seok and others "No problem with Kim's foot odor"
Kwon Hyuk-ki "Violation of statutory law found"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporters Hyunju Lee, Chae-eun Koo] On the evening of the 16th, after the public broadcast reporting the phone conversation with Kim Gun-hee, spouse of Yoon Seok-yeol, the People Power Party's presidential candidate, the People Power Party rather breathed a sigh of relief.

They criticized the MBC report as a political ploy, claiming the broadcast content was merely a private conversation. Kwon Young-se, head of the People Power Party's Central Election Countermeasures Headquarters, said at the headquarters meeting held on the 17th, "MBC took the lead in political manipulation by broadcasting just before the presidential election without properly granting the right to rebut." Representative Lee Jun-seok also wrote on Facebook immediately after the broadcast, "I wish they had pointed out more clearly which parts of the broadcast are problematic," adding, "Since additional reports are scheduled next week, it would be easier to understand if the media included their perspective on exactly which parts are problematic and why." Essentially, they imply there is no problem with Kim’s remarks aired on the broadcast.

On the other hand, the Democratic Party of Korea is closely monitoring the repercussions of the report and public opinion. They argue that the reaction from the People Power Party is more problematic than the broadcast content itself. Kwon Hyuk-ki, deputy spokesperson of the Democratic Party's election committee, said at a briefing that day, "Statements suggesting attempts to bribe journalists with 100 million won and the incorrect perception of Me Too that appeared are serious issues, and the arrogant attitude of the People Power Party claiming there is no problem is a bigger issue." He added, "There were also considerable parts that violated criminal laws." Referring to another report that a shaman advised Yoon Seok-yeol’s election committee, he demanded, "Yoon himself must clarify what position and role the shaman had and whether they influenced the candidate’s message." Democratic Party lawmaker Woo Sang-ho appeared on the radio and commented, "The most shocking remark was ‘Conservatives don’t have problems because they cover affairs with money,’ which shows a shocking perception to female voters and will have repercussions."

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