"Future Short Person" Kim Eun-kyung Elderly Disparagement Controversy Spreads... Ruling Party's Fierce Attack Calling It a "Modern-Day Goryeo Jang"

People Power Party Launches Full-Scale Offensive at June 1 Floor Strategy Meeting
Former Uri Party Chairman Jeong Dong-yeong's Elderly Disparagement Controversy Also Raised

On the 1st, the People Power Party launched a fierce offensive against Kim Eun-kyung, the Innovation Committee Chair of the Democratic Party of Korea, over her controversial remarks belittling the elderly, using harsh expressions such as "modern-day Goryeojang" and "the Democratic Party's old habits."

Yoon Jae-ok, the floor leader of the People Power Party, said on the 1st, "The Democratic Party has a long history of elderly disparagement remarks that are unmentionable, dating back to the Uri Party in 2004, and what Chair Kim Eun-kyung needs to innovate is this kind of conflictual worldview," adding, "It is the Democratic Party's old habit of approaching elections with an extreme strategy of dividing the people based on vote calculations." He recalled the incident when Jeong Dong-young, former Uri Party chairman, faced backlash for saying "people in their 60s and 70s do not need to vote" ahead of the 2004 general election.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Earlier, on the 30th of last month, Chair Kim introduced a childhood remark from her second child during a discussion with young people, saying, "Why should older people decide our future?" and added, "Why should those with a shorter future vote one-to-one?" which sparked controversy over belittling the elderly.

In response, Floor Leader Yoon pointed out, "The moment you contrast generations with conflictual expressions like those with a long future and those with a short future, the innocent idea of a son quickly turns into a highly political claim," and criticized, "It is enough to cause misunderstanding that Chair Kim answered that the principle of one person, one vote is difficult to realize in a democratic country, implying that the one person, one vote principle is irrational."

At the same event, Lee Cheol-gyu, Secretary-General of the same party, raised the criticism level by calling it a "modern-day Goryeojang." Lee said, "The generation that built today's Republic of Korea through the Miracle on the Han River after the country was devastated by the Korean War are the elders," and condemned the remarks as "a heinous statement comparable to the absurd claim that elders should just stay at home."

He continued, "It is shocking that Chair Kim flaunted ignorance by completely denying democratic principles while talking about the proportional representation system, and it is even more concerning that this person is the Innovation Committee Chair of the Democratic Party," and pressed on, "Did Chair Kim Eun-kyung make these outrageous remarks because she does not realize that our country's prosperity is the result of the sweat and blood of the older generation?" Lee urged, "She should maintain the dignity befitting her position as Innovation Committee Chair."

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