Song Young-gil fiercely criticizes Yoon as a "crazy person allying with invaders of our territory"

Claims that Yoon Seok-yeol's father, Honorary Professor Yoon Ki-jung, became a professor after receiving a Japanese Ministry of Education scholarship

People Power Party presidential candidate Yoon Seok-yeol Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy reporters Ki-min Lee and Young-won Kim] Song Young-gil, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, fiercely criticized Yoon Seok-yeol, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, on the 28th, saying, "Is there anyone crazy enough to ally with a person who intends to invade our territory?"

At a rally supporting Lee Jae-myung's presidential campaign held at Dongdaegu Station Square that afternoon, Song said, "How can we form a military alliance with Japan, which still claims Dokdo as its territory?"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Song repeatedly criticized Yoon for mentioning a Korea-US-Japan alliance during a TV debate on the 25th, just before the March 1st Movement anniversary, saying, "In an emergency, (Japan's Self-Defense Forces) could enter South Korea."

He also criticized Yoon’s father, Yoon Ki-jung, an emeritus professor at Yonsei University. He said, "I know Professor Yoon Ki-jung well since he was a professor at Yonsei University's College of Commerce, where I studied. He received a scholarship from Japan’s Ministry of Education and earned his degree to become a Yonsei professor. He was very close to Japan."

Song added, "I agree with Yoon’s call for a strong peace. That is why the Moon Jae-in administration prepared for South Korea to become the seventh country in the world capable of launching SLBMs (submarine-launched ballistic missiles), and we have developed into a missile powerhouse covering China and Russia with the Hyunmoo 1, 2, 3, and 4 missiles." He continued, "We succeeded in test-firing the Iron Dome system capable of defending the Seoul metropolitan area even without THAAD."

He then brought up Yoon’s exemption from military service due to vision problems, saying, "If he wants to criticize President Moon Jae-in, a former special forces officer, he should at least have served in the military himself or explain why he did not. Is it reasonable for the commander-in-chief, who can order our sons and daughters to fight, to have avoided military service while being physically fit and throwing uppercuts?"

In particular, he said, "Yoon criticizes President Moon for ruining the country by bringing in incompetent third-rate people, but the only thing he got right was appointing that person as Prosecutor General." He added, "Yoon’s wife, Kim Gun-hee, said in an interview with a reporter, 'My husband is a fool, he knows nothing,' but we cannot elect a fool."

Song appealed for support, saying, "For the first time in Democratic Party history, we have nominated Lee Jae-myung of the Gyeongju Lee clan from Andong and Kim Hye-kyung of the Andong Kim clan. If you don’t vote for them, what will happen? Isn’t this a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity?"

On the same day in Daegu, Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate, held the launch ceremony of the 'Southern Metropolitan Area Realization Committee.' The committee was promoted from the Southern Economic Zone Committee under the party’s election campaign headquarters to a direct organization under the candidate. Lee will serve as the standing chairman of the committee and plans to realize the Southern Metropolitan Area initiative he announced on the 6th at Bongha Village.

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