Candidates for the People's Power Party leadership identified the pardons of former Justice Minister Cho Kuk and former lawmaker Yoon Mi-hyang as the most mismanaged actions of the Lee Jae-myung government.
During the debate for the People's Power Party leadership candidates held on the afternoon of the 17th at KBS in Yeouido, Seoul, the candidates responded to a common question asking them to talk about 'what the Lee Jae-myung government did right and wrong.'
Candidates Ahn Cheol-soo, Jang Dong-hyuk, and Jo Kyoung-tae all pinpointed the inclusion of former Representative Cho and former lawmaker Yoon in the special pardons on Aug. 15 as the most mismanaged action of the Lee Jae-myung government. Ahn noted, 'The biggest mistake was the pardon of former representative Cho and former lawmaker Yoon during the Aug. 15 special pardon,' adding that 'while the government touted national unity as justification, the public feels that justice and fairness have been undermined.'
Ahn also identified the 'pardon of former representative Cho and former lawmaker Yoon during the Aug. 15 pardon' as the biggest mistake. He stated, 'Is it reasonable to pardon a criminal like Yoon Mi-hyang, who exploited comfort women, on the proud day of the 80th anniversary of liberation? It shows disdain for the public.'
Jang stated that 'what the Lee Jae-myung government did wrong included appointing key figures from the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) as the Minister of Employment and Labor, and attempting to appoint someone who was a key figure in the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union as the Minister of Education,' calling it 'a declaration of war against liberal democracy.' He further remarked that 'the pardons of former representative Cho and former lawmaker Yoon align with this sentiment.'
Lawmaker Kim criticized, saying, 'As soon as Lee Jae-myung became president, he halted his own trials while facing five legal cases,' describing it as 'a serious undermining of the rule of law in Korea.'
Regarding what the Lee Jae-myung government did well, candidates Kim, Ahn, and Jang either stated 'none' or did not answer the question. Only Jo pointed out the announcement of the transfer of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries to Busan as a positive action.
When asked what should be discarded for the People's Power Party to survive, conflicting answers emerged. Candidates Kim Moon-soo and Jang Dong-hyuk, known as the 'anti-impeachment' faction, argued that 'divisions' must be eliminated, while Ahn Cheol-soo and Jo Kyoung-tae, known as the 'pro-impeachment' faction, insisted that 'Yoon Suk-yeol and martial law' should be discarded.
Jang stated, 'One enemy inside is much more dangerous than 50 enemies outside' and noted, 'The People's Power Party can survive when we unite.' Candidate Kim also replied, 'The People's Power Party can regain its strength only by discarding divisions.'
In contrast, Ahn asserted, 'The People's Power Party must discard the support for martial law. A ruling has stated that martial law is unconstitutional. Upholding this is protecting the rule of law and the true path of conservatism.' Jo remarked, 'The People's Power Party must abandon former President Yoon Suk-yeol, who caused significant harm to the public through an unlawful state of emergency and betrayed the values of conservatism, crossing a line against both the People's Power Party and the public.'