As Jung Chung-rae of the Democratic Party of Korea stepped in to back Ha Jung-woo, who is running in the Busan Buk-gap National Assembly by-election, a scene of Jung pressing a lower-grade elementary school girl to "try calling him 'Jung-woo oppa'" has stirred controversy. The People Power Party strongly criticized it as "a crazy act lacking even the most basic morality."
On the 3rd, the party leader Jung toured areas including Gupo Market in Busan's Buk District, appealing for support for Ha. In the process, Jung said to a girl who appeared to be in the lower grades of elementary school, "Here, Jung-woo oppa, try calling him oppa."
Sitting in front of the girl, Ha referred to himself as "oppa." When the girl glanced around, Jung said again, "Try saying oppa." When the student spoke in a small voice, Ha clapped, saying, "Aigo."
As the video spread online, People Power Party lawmaker Park Jeong-hun wrote on Facebook that day, "Telling an elementary school student to call a politician more than 40 years older 'oppa' is clearly child sexual harassment," adding, "The fact that such a person is the leader of the ruling party is the laughably sad reality of South Korean politics."
He went on to criticize, "While this is nothing new for the Democratic Party, Ha Jung-woo, who chimed in by laughing and urging her to say 'oppa,' is just as pathetic."
People Power Party lawmaker Sung Il-jong also wrote on Facebook the same day, "It is truly embarrassing that 62-year-old party leader Jung Chung-rae and 50-year-old candidate Ha Jung-woo pressured a first-grade elementary school girl to 'try calling him oppa,'" adding, "The sight of the two taking turns pressing the hesitant child to 'try saying oppa' is little different from a form of child abuse."
He continued, "How uncomfortable must that child have felt, having to reluctantly call 'oppa' to someone presumed to be much older than her own father?" and noted, "No matter how desperate you are for votes, should you be causing pain to a young child?"