Han Dong-hoon, a candidate for the People Power Party's presidential primary, said on the 25th, "We came out (to the debate) to defeat Democratic Party of Korea candidate Lee Jae-myung," adding, "We have consistently attacked him as a repeat offender, but to do that, we must be clean."
The candidate Han responded to a question posed by candidate Hong Joon-pyo during the People Power Party's presidential primary "one-on-one debate" that day, asking, "Are you willing to apologize for referring to candidate Kim Moon-soo as a repeat offender the day before (the 24th)?"
Candidate Han attacked candidate Kim the day before, stating, "In terms of total prior convictions, candidate Kim has more than candidate Lee Jae-myung," and questioned, "Is this a position that someone who has not adhered to basic rules can hold, as a symbol of law and order, the presidency?"
In response, candidate Hong noted on Facebook, "I cannot shake the thought that he is truly a horrible person," adding, "The criminal history related to labor movements and democratization is fundamentally different from the shameless criminal history of candidate Lee Jae-myung, and mocking that crosses the line."
Candidate Han said that day, "The guilty verdict against candidate Kim was confirmed yesterday (the 24th)," and emphasized, "I am not questioning his participation in past difficult times or democratization struggles. It is not a matter of character or temperament; I am merely stating that one must be clean themselves."
The day before, the Supreme Court sentenced candidate Kim to a fine of 2.5 million won for violating quarantine measures by attending on-site church services at the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak.