Hwang Kyo-an: "Difficult to Acknowledge the Sincerity of Jeon Gwang-hoon's 'Declaration of Separation'"

Former United Future Party leader Hwang Kyo-ahn said it is "difficult to recognize the sincerity" of Pastor Jeon Gwang-hoon of Sarang Jeil Church's 'breakup declaration' scheduled for that morning. He said that Pastor Jeon still wants to influence the People Power Party but is hiding his true intentions.

On the 17th, former leader Hwang said on CBS's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show,' "Pastor Jeon is the person who founded the Liberty Unification Party. So why would he break up with our party if there is any relationship?"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

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According to Sarang Jeil Church, Pastor Jeon will hold an emergency press conference that morning under the theme of 'breaking up with the People Power Party.' This move preempted discussions within the People Power Party about 'cutting ties with Pastor Jeon.'

Regarding this, former leader Hwang said, "He wanted to influence our party anyway, and since things did not go well as he wished within our party, he is probably seeking some direction. That is how I see it," adding, "However, I think the method itself is not good either. He should honestly tell the people, 'I want to be with the People Power Party. Things did not work out with our party, but some things are still lacking, so let's fix them together.'"

He evaluated that Pastor Jeon was once a 'patriot' but has since fallen. When asked about his assessment of Pastor Jeon, Hwang said, "He is a patriot. Originally, he saw the problems with the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (JeonGyoJo) and started anti-JeonGyoJo activities. At that time, he was someone we respected and did well," adding, "In 2019, many forces gathered, and support for him surged, and then he began to change. I even say he 'fell'."

He said Pastor Jeon developed political ambitions and tried to intervene in politics. Hwang said, "He kept interfering in politics, craving seats, and saying things like 'You have to do as I say, or I will control the party. Left-wing, right-wing.' This is because he developed political ambitions."

He revealed that Pastor Jeon even demanded nomination spots. He said, "It was far more than a dozen. Because he made unreasonable demands, I could not work with him," emphasizing, "That is why I say he fell. If you want to do politics, you should come out into the political arena. Trying to use Christianity to fulfill political ambitions is wrong."

Still, regarding the 'breakup' between Pastor Jeon and the People Power Party, he said, "I do not use the word 'breakup.' If mistakes are corrected, he can come back anytime," adding, "Politics is always like a living organism, isn't it? If corrected, you have to accept it."

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