Hong Jun-pyo "Caught a Weakness?"... Kim Ki-hyun "Severe Warning for Damaging Party Honor by Linking Jeon Gwang-hoon"

Hong Jun-pyo "Not our party member, passive
Only denies and watches cautiously... Have they been caught at a weak point?"

Kim Ki-hyun, leader of the People Power Party, stated on the 11th, "As party leader, I sternly warn against any words or actions that link Pastor Jeon Gwang-hoon’s every move to the party and thereby tarnish the honor of the party and its members." This came as some within the party, including Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo, criticized the leadership’s passive response to Pastor Jeon, prompting Kim to draw a clear line through a public message.

On the same day, Kim wrote on his Facebook, "I express deep regret as party leader over the phenomenon where Pastor Jeon Gwang-hoon, who is not a member of our People Power Party nor its 840,000 proud responsible members, is being maliciously linked and attacked as if he were part of our community."

He continued, "I have repeatedly stated that the People Power Party has no relationship whatsoever with Pastor Jeon that would require drawing a line. Pastor Jeon is known to have founded another party and actually represents that party, so what relationship does such a person have with our party?" He emphasized, "At a time when we should be focusing on changes in the era and striving to embrace greater public sentiment, unnecessary controversies related to Pastor Jeon do not help the party at all."

This statement is interpreted as a direct response to Mayor Hong’s pointed question earlier that day, "Have you been compromised by Pastor Jeon?"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Mayor Hong wrote on his Facebook that day, "(Pastor Jeon) promised to deliver 180 seats during Hwang Kyo-ahn’s leadership but failed miserably. Now he says he will deliver 200 seats to Kim Ki-hyun." He criticized, "Yet they only timidly deny that he is not a party member while watching their step." He added, "Do they really think they can win an election with a pastor who constantly swears and an extreme right-wing YouTuber who spreads fake news? What kind of leverage do they have on him? The general election is only a year away, and this is truly frustrating."

Meanwhile, Pastor Jeon held a press conference the previous day, saying, "Politicians hold power, so religious oversight is absolutely necessary. Without religious oversight, self-control is impossible. They must be controlled by Pastor Jeon." He also stated, "The goal of the Korean church is to support 200 seats for the People Power Party in the upcoming general election."

As these remarks sparked controversy, the party leadership drew a clear line, stating, "He is not our party member." When leaving the National Assembly plenary session, Kim responded to reporters’ questions, "He is not a member of our party." Secretary-General Lee Cheol-gyu also said, "He has no relation to our party. He is the leader of another party, so it is not our place to evaluate his remarks by linking them to our party."

Within the party, voices calling for a break with Pastor Jeon grew louder. Lawmaker Ha Tae-kyung argued on Facebook the previous day, "We must clearly draw a line with Pastor Jeon, who constantly spews abusive language and sophistry," and insisted, "We must ensure that not even the shadow of Pastor Jeon lingers around our party."

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