'5·18 North Korea Intervention Theory' Dotae-woo's Nomination... People Power Party "Respecting Diverse Opinions"

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The People Power Party's Nomination Management Committee stated that the nomination of lawyer Do Tae-woo, who claimed the theory of North Korean involvement in the May 18 Democratic Uprising, was the result of respecting diverse opinions. There are criticisms that the party nominated candidates in all constituencies in Honam, which contradicts the position of Han Dong-hoon, the Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party.

Lawyer Tae-woo Do. Photo by Naver Profile Screen Capture

On the morning of the 8th, at a briefing held at the central party office in Yeouido, Jeong Young-hwan, chairman of the People Power Party's Nomination Committee, said regarding Do's remarks, "We thoroughly reviewed them," and added, "We respected diverse opinions and believed there would be no problem as (Do) would prioritize the party's overall values." Jang Dong-hyuk, secretary-general of the People Power Party, said, "A public office candidate can have personal opinions on issues before becoming a candidate," and "Now that he is a candidate, we expect him to consider the party's stance while engaging in various political activities."

In February 2019, Do Tae-woo mentioned the need for reinvestigation through a video on his YouTube channel, stating, "(Regarding the May 18 Democratic Uprising) there are very problematic aspects, and the question of North Korean involvement is actually common sense." Additionally, in January of the same year, at a public lecture, he said, "Defining May 18 as a massacre is a fictitious myth," and "Sanctifying May 18 cannot coexist with liberal democracy."

This nomination contradicts the People Power Party's stance on the May 18 Democratic Uprising ahead of the general election. In January, Chairman Han visited Gwangju and announced plans to include the spirit of May 18 in the preamble of the Constitution. Han said, "The spirit of Gwangju in May is the spirit of defending democracy in difficult circumstances," and "It exactly aligns with the spirit of the Constitution of the Republic of Korea." The People Power Party's Gwangju City Party also visited the May 18 Democratic Cemetery on the 5th and set the inclusion of the May 18 spirit in the constitutional preamble as a party election pledge.

In this general election, the nomination of Do Tae-woo is expected to be an obstacle for the People Power Party, which plans to field candidates in all 28 constituencies in Honam. On the same day, the party's nomination committee gave a single nomination to Kim Hee-taek, chairman of the People Power Party Jeonnam Provincial Party's External Cooperation Committee, for Yeosu City Eul in Jeollanam-do. By nominating candidates only in the Damyang, Hampyeong, Yeonggwang, and Jangseong constituencies, the conservative camp will field candidates in all Honam constituencies for the first time in 16 years since the 18th general election in 2008. Chairman Jeong said, "It is especially meaningful to fill all constituencies for the first time in 16 years," and added, "If Gwangju, Jeonnam, and Jeonbuk each allocate one constituency to the People Power Party, it will greatly help regional development and communication."

The Reform New Party called for Do Tae-woo's resignation and Chairman Han's apology. Kwak Dae-jung, spokesperson for the Reform New Party, stated in a position paper, "This shows that Chairman Han's promise to include the spirit of May 18 in the constitutional preamble is nothing but an election slogan," and demanded, "The People Power Party candidate who made outrageous remarks should resign, and Chairman Han should kneel and apologize."

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