Kim Sung-tae: "Yoon's Congratulatory Speech, Words Any Conservative President Wanted to Say"

President Yoon Suk-yeol sparked controversy by stating in his Liberation Day speech the previous day that "anti-state forces who blindly follow communist totalitarianism, distort public opinion through fabricated propaganda, and disrupt society are still rampant." In response, Kim Sung-tae, chairman of the People Power Party's Central Committee, said, "Every conservative president in history has wanted to say something like this."

On the 16th, Kim said on SBS's 'Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show,' "The main force that constantly threatens South Korea's security is the North Korean regime, and there are forces that support and represent that regime. These forces are defined as anti-state organizations," adding this explanation.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Earlier, in his Liberation Day address, President Yoon said, "Communist totalitarian forces have always disguised themselves as democracy activists, human rights activists, and progressive activists, engaging in false propaganda and vile, immoral operations," which was interpreted as a remark targeting opposition party figures.

When asked by the host whether the remarks were aimed at some opposition lawmakers or figures, Kim said, "There are clearly forces that, under the guise of progressivism, practically represent and defend North Korean communist totalitarianism and attempt to shake South Korea's liberal democratic system. These forces currently exist not only in the labor sector of the Changwon area but also in social movements and parts of the political sphere. The general view here is that these individuals are engaged in such activities." This implies that some parts of the political sphere are also targeted.

Kim added, "Regarding Representative Yoon Mi-hyang, while it is difficult to single out a specific lawmaker, and we are awaiting judicial judgment, it was revealed through media reports at the time that the shelter in Anseong was a refuge for defectors who hoped to return to North Korea," and said, "Even in the current situation where South Korea's liberal democratic system is being upheld, there are many ideologies sympathetic to North Korea's communist totalitarian forces that stand in stark opposition to us."

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