Kim Jonghyuk: "Lee Junseok's Remarks Were Extremely Shocking... Felt Like Hearing About Martial Law on December 3"

"It Will Go Down as One of the Most Unprecedented Comments in History"

Kim Jonghyuk, former Supreme Council member of the People Power Party, criticized Lee Junseok, the presidential candidate of the Reform New Party, for his recent remarks about the female body, stating, "It was extremely shocking" and "It will go down as one of the most unprecedented comments in history."

Lee Junseok, the presidential candidate of the Reform New Party, is preparing for a political TV debate held on the 27th at the MBC studio in Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul. Photo by National Assembly Press Photographers Group

On May 29, during an appearance on CBS Radio's 'Park Jaehong's Hanpan Seungbu,' Kim said, "If children or couples were watching together and heard Lee's remarks, I think everyone would have looked at each other in disbelief, wondering, 'What did he just say?'" He added, "It felt similar to watching TV on December 3 last year and suddenly hearing about the declaration of martial law."

He continued, "People will only accept comments that make sense or that seem plausible when judged rationally. How could anyone say such things?"

Kim further stated, "It seems that Lee was trying to associate Lee Jaemyung, the Democratic Party's presidential candidate, with the scandal involving his sister-in-law and his son, in order to create the image of a 'dysfunctional family.' However, even so, neither broadcasters nor YouTube channels can air the language used in Lee Jaemyung's sister-in-law scandal. Yet, to make such unverified claims without any filter is an unimaginable situation."

He added, "In fact, Lee has been criticized for being accustomed to politics of hatred and division, often targeting women, the elderly, and people with disabilities in an elitist manner. In this context, his recent remarks about the female body were supposedly made to criticize misogyny, but logically, it makes no sense to claim to fight misogyny by making misogynistic statements."

During the final TV debate among presidential candidates on May 27, Lee described violent expressions related to the female body and asked Kwon Youngguk, the Democratic Labor Party's presidential candidate, "By the standards of the Democratic Labor Party, does this constitute misogyny?" This referenced claims circulating in some online communities regarding Lee Jaemyung's son.

In response, the Democratic Party called Lee's remarks "an act of violence that cannot be tolerated" and filed a complaint with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, accusing him of violating the Public Official Election Act. The Progressive Party stated, "It was a nationwide act of sexual violence that demeaned and insulted a specific gender before the entire nation," and announced plans to file a complaint with the National Assembly Ethics Committee.

As the controversy grew, Lee eventually apologized. On May 28, after a campaign rally at Yeouido Park, he told reporters, "I was aware that some members of the public might feel uncomfortable, and I offer my sincere apologies for that." However, he added, "If there are suggestions on how to express it more gently, I am willing to consider them, but since I simply quoted what was said, I believe there is no other way. From my perspective, if the words and actions I cited during the debate are true, they warrant thorough verification."

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