Ha Tae-kyung: "Yoon Also Agrees on 'Cutting Off Far-Right Forces'... No Intervention in Hong's Dismissal"

Regarding the claim by some that President Yoon Seok-yeol intervened in the dismissal of Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo, Ha Tae-kyung, a member of the People Power Party, stated, "He did not intervene," adding, "President Yoon shares the same view that there should be a break with far-right forces."

On the 17th, Ha said on MBC's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' program, "That (intervention theory) is an overinterpretation, and even pro-Yoon lawmakers currently recognize that this (dismissal) was a mistake. They just do not speak out publicly," he said.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Regarding Mayor Hong's earlier dismissal from the party's standing advisory position, former party leader Lee Jun-seok interpreted on MBC radio that it reflected the will of Yongsan. It was said that the decisive trigger was Mayor Hong calling President Yoon a 'political novice' on the 100-Minute Debate program.

However, Ha dismissed this, saying, "I personally confirmed with pro-Yoon lawmakers," adding, "I confirmed that the president did not intervene, and in Mayor Hong's case, during the president's honeymoon period of one year, he refrained from criticizing the president and made considerable efforts to politically support him. Therefore, President Yoon did not have a negative perception of Mayor Hong until recently."

Ha diagnosed that Mayor Hong's dismissal was an emotional response by party leader Kim. He said, "It seems more emotional than rational leadership," adding, "Although publicly provoking and raising issues daily is not a good look, the recent call to break ties with the far-right is a valid statement. Even if it feels unpleasant, the content had to be accepted."

The solution lies in breaking ties with the far-right, represented by Pastor Jeon Gwang-hoon of Sarang Jeil Church. Ha said, "The solution is for party leader Kim to decisively break ties with Jeon Gwang-hoon's faction, but looking at the current situation, it seems the break will be forced upon them," adding, "It's a situation where before kicking, they are being kicked." Pastor Jeon held a press conference that day to declare a split from the People Power Party.

Ha emphasized that resolving dual party memberships is essential. He said, "Pastor Jeon is not a party member, but there are dual party members recommended by him. These people are interfering in our party's convention," adding, "Dual party membership is a crime under the Political Parties Act and illegal. If party leader Kim conducts a thorough investigation and makes efforts to resolve dual memberships, then the issues raised by Mayor Hong will be accepted, and the relationship between the two will be restored."

Regarding Kim Jae-won, a Supreme Council member embroiled in controversy due to ties with Pastor Jeon, Ha stressed that disciplinary action by the Ethics Committee is necessary. He said, "In my view, it is somewhat belated disciplinary action, but nonetheless, it is a necessity according to the majority opinion within the party."

Meanwhile, Ha held a press conference with the brother of the late Bae Seung-ah, who died due to drunk driving, and announced plans to propose legislation to disclose the identities of drunk-driving murderers. Ha said, "Currently, identity disclosure is limited to serious crimes such as murder and sexual violence," adding, "but drunk driving is also a serious crime. Raising awareness is crucial, and identity disclosure is probably the most effective way to awaken that awareness. Therefore, we held this press conference together with the bereaved families' opinions."

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