Ahn Ho-young, who had been on a hunger strike for the 12th day calling for a reinvestigation into Jeonbuk governor candidate Lee Won-taek of the Democratic Party of Korea over allegations that others paid his alcohol and meal bills, was rushed to a hospital as his health deteriorated. Supreme Council members Kang Deuk-gu and Lee Un-ju criticized party leader Jung Chung-rae at Ahn's hunger strike site.
According to political circles on the 22nd, Ahn was urgently transported to Green Hospital in Jungnang-gu, Seoul, in the afternoon due to worsening health, following the recommendation of presidential political adviser Cho Jeong-sik and medical staff.
Ahn continued his hunger strike for 12 days, demanding a reinvestigation into allegations that others paid for meals for his rival, candidate Lee Won-taek, during the Democratic Party primary for Jeonbuk governor. The Democratic Party conducted an emergency inspection into the allegations against Lee at the direction of leader Jung Chung-rae, but concluded there was "no charge."
After Lee was chosen as the Democratic Party candidate for Jeonbuk governor, Ahn began a hunger strike in front of the main National Assembly building on the 11th. Many politicians, including pro-Myeong figures, visited Ahn's protest site. On the 21st, National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik and Democratic Party Incheon mayoral candidate Park Chan-dae visited, and on the 22nd, People Power Party floor leader Song Eon-seog also stopped by.
In particular, on this morning, Supreme Council members Kang Deuk-gu and Lee Un-ju visited the protest site to console Ahn and drew attention by criticizing leader Jung Chung-rae. That morning, Jung held an on-site Supreme Council meeting on a boat heading from Yokji Island in Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang, to Tongyeong City, but the two Supreme Council members did not attend and instead appeared at Ahn's protest site.
Kang said, "Isn't politics about the leadership persuading Ahn with objective grounds so that at the very least Ahn can accept it, and giving a rationale so Ahn can get up? I can't understand that the party leader has not come (to the hunger strike site) even once. What's more important, saving one person or a Supreme Council meeting held on a ship?"
Lee also said, "When the problematic incident (the allegations that others paid for the lawmaker's expenses) arose, there was a heated debate in the Supreme Council that it would be reasonable to postpone the primary by at least a day because holding a proper inspection first would ensure a fair primary, but we failed to push it through," adding, "I feel considerable self-reproach seeing the party leader not even stopping by once to see a colleague on a hunger strike or holding the colleague's hand even once."