Jin Joong-kwon Criticizes Lee Jun-seok for Targeting Senior Free Riders with Goebbels-Style Rhetoric
by Kim Eunha
Published 27 Jan.2024 14:21(KST)
"Typical Emotion-Scratching Goebbels-Style Rhetoric"
"Consistently Attacking Socially Vulnerable Groups"
Professor Jin Joong-kwon of Kwangwoon University strongly criticized Lee Jun-seok, leader of the Reform New Party, who advocates for the abolition of the free ride system for the elderly, saying he uses "Goebbels-like rhetoric." Joseph Goebbels was Adolf Hitler's right-hand man, notorious for inciting the extermination of Jews through media control during Nazi Germany.
Regarding Lee's recent remark that "among the subway stations on Line 4, the station with the highest rate of free rides is Gyeongmajang Station," Professor Jin appeared on CBS Radio's 'Park Jae-hong's One-on-One' on the 26th and described it as "a very bad habit."
Professor Jin pointed out, "There is a lot to see there (at the horse racing park). I even took my kids there to watch. Elderly people can also go there to watch." He added, "What is implied beneath (Lee's remark) is that elderly people gamble there. Do elderly people really have money to gamble? Why would they go there? Shouldn't we examine this? Among all cases, how many are actually gambling cases?"
He criticized, "Is it appropriate to represent the elderly free ride issue with that one case, that episode? It's a typical Goebbels-like rhetoric that stirs emotions." He further pointed out, "We need to consider how much benefit elderly people gain from the free ride system, including welfare issues and mental health."
He also labeled Lee as the "Korean version of Trump." "Didn’t Lee Jun-seok suffer significant losses in the presidential election by promoting anti-women and anti-feminism? Because of that, women all went to Lee Jae-myung. Also, he picks fights with the disabled, for example, the National Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination (Jeonjangyeon). He picks fights with foreigners and Chinese people. Next, it’s the elderly," he said. "He is attacking social minorities and the socially vulnerable. This is actually a characteristic of Trumpists in the U.S. This is now appearing here as well, consistently," he criticized.
He interpreted, "He loses in presidential elections. But now, since the Reform New Party is a small party, he believes that gathering only those who respond to this can become a political force."
On the same day, Lee appeared on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' in the morning and had a heated debate with Kim Ho-il, president of the Korea Senior Citizens Association, over the free ride system for the elderly. Lee said, "Do you know which subway station on Line 4 has the highest rate of free rides? It’s Gyeongmajang Station. We need to see how this is perceived by the younger generation."
Earlier, on the 18th, the Reform New Party led by Lee announced a pledge to abolish the "free subway rides for those aged 65 and over" system and switch to providing an annual prepaid transportation card worth 120,000 won that can be used on urban rail, buses, and taxis. Lee stated, "This system, modeled after the free ride system for the elderly in the former Soviet Union, has now reached the end of its lifespan. The costs incurred from free rides remain as debt and are passed on to future generations."
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