Controversy over 'Secondary Harm' Yeo Party Spokesperson Apologizes to Informant, Says "Lee Nak-yeon Should Refrain from Comments..."

Kim Hye-kyung's Apology Met with Lee Nak-yeon's 'SNS Restraint' Warning
Hyun Geun-taek: "I Apologize for Victim-Blaming Remarks"

A post by Hyun Geun-taek, spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Korea's Election Countermeasures Committee, on Facebook on the 10th. Photo by Spokesperson Hyun's Facebook capture.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Joo-hee] Hyun Geun-taek, spokesperson for the Democratic Party's presidential campaign committee, who sparked controversy for blaming the whistleblower in a 'secondary victimization' remark related to allegations of excessive protocol by Kim Hye-kyung, spouse of Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, has apologized, but left the impression of reluctantly apologizing following Kim.

On the 10th, Hyun Geun-taek, campaign spokesperson, said on Facebook, "Mrs. Kim Hye-kyung has apologized. Chairman Lee Nak-yeon also asked to refrain from making remarks," adding, "I also apologize for making statements that blamed the victim."

He continued, "I will do my best to refrain from making remarks about the victim in the future," and added, "I hope there will be no questions about this on broadcasts."

Earlier, Hyun had been criticized for secondary victimization by blaming former public official A, who exposed Kim’s excessive protocol allegations, saying, "If you thought there was a problem with the instructions, you could have quit," "Recording calls and capturing conversations one by one was clearly intentional," and "There could be misunderstandings that the exposure was for money."

Hyun actively refuted such criticism, saying, "What is secondary victimization? Can't it be seen as intentional from the start (by A)?"

However, after Kim herself came forward the previous day to apologize for the allegations surrounding her, it is interpreted that Hyun also joined in the apology. Chairman Lee Nak-yeon reportedly warned in a closed campaign meeting, "Do not post unnecessary posts on social media (SNS). The moderate voters dislike that."

Nevertheless, since Hyun’s apology appears to be due to Kim’s apology and Chairman Lee’s SNS restraint order, doubts about its sincerity remain. Seemingly aware of this, Hyun later deleted the parts in his post mentioning "Mrs. Kim Hye-kyung has apologized" and "Chairman Lee Nak-yeon also asked to refrain from making remarks."

Meanwhile, on the 9th, Kim held a press conference at the Democratic Party central office in Yeouido, Seoul, saying, "I sincerely apologize to the public, especially to the whistleblower," and bowed her head, stating, "I will duly take the responsibility I must bear. I will do my best to ensure that the truth is revealed through investigation and audit."

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