5.18 Injured and Gwangju Citizens Called "Vagabond Lives"... People Power Party Dismisses Election Committee Member

Kwon Young-se, Head of the Election Countermeasures Headquarters of the People Power Party.
Photo by Asia Economy

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] It has become controversial that a member of the People Power Party's election campaign headquarters left comments disparaging those involved in the May 18 Democratic Uprising and the citizens of Gwangju. In response, the People Power Party dismissed the individual from the campaign headquarters.

Earlier, Shin Gwang-jo, Senior Deputy Head of the People Power Party's Professional Headquarters, Senior Deputy Head of the Nuclear Industry Support Group, and Chair of the Fair Country Committee of the Organization Headquarters, left a comment on June 6 in response to a social media post by a person named Lee, a member of the May 18 Democratic Uprising Wounded Comrades Association, who criticized the unification of presidential candidates Yoon Seok-yeol of the People Power Party and Ahn Cheol-soo of the People’s Party. Shin commented, "Pitiful lives carrying only 'XXX'... beggars and vagrants."

When some netizens criticized Deputy Head Shin, he replied with another comment saying, "This is for those from Gwangju and Jeolla who are trapped in the conviction that only their own claims are justice," and added, "The idea that Jeolla people consider Moon Jae-in as their ally exclusively or that 'Cho Kuk is Gwangju' is a lowly consciousness of tribal animals dividing into factions to fight."

Shin, the senior deputy head, further disparaged by saying, "Gwangju is a place of punishment. Everyone is stuck in stubbornness and obstinacy, and they go crazy over power and money; it is a despicable place," and added, "There are a few untainted people, so I still have some attachment to Gwangju."

In response, the People Power Party's Public Relations Team announced to reporters on the 7th, "We inform you that Shin Gwang-jo, Senior Deputy Head of the Professional Headquarters Nuclear Industry Support Group and Chair of the Fair Country Committee of the Organization Headquarters, has been dismissed due to the controversy caused by his inappropriate comments."

Meanwhile, Senior Deputy Head Shin previously served as the head of the Gwangju Metropolitan City Waterworks Headquarters and director of the Environmental Ecology Bureau at Gwangju City Hall, and also served as a special advisor on regional balanced development at the People Power Party's election campaign committee.

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