Han Byung-do, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, sharply criticized People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok by likening him to a far-right YouTuber. Han said Jang is turning the election arena into a mudslinging match and is abetting far-right forces that blatantly insult May 18 and democracy, fomenting public division.
Han said at a floor strategy meeting held at the National Assembly on the 26th that the People Power Party "is dragging the Republic of Korea back into the era of Yoon Suk-yeol marked by madness and delusion," and "is turning the local elections, which should be a policy contest to overcome the Middle East crisis and stabilize people's livelihoods, into a mud pit rife with baseless slander, black propaganda, and calumny against Democratic Party candidates."
He added, "It is not enough that Jang and some lawmakers and candidates are shielding far-right forces that blatantly insult May 18 and democracy; they are dragging their reckless antics into the campaign, inciting hate and ridicule, and fueling public division."
Han went on, "At this point, he is closer to a far-right YouTuber than the leader of the main opposition," adding, "No matter how urgent an election is, there is a minimum duty as a politician, yet the People Power Party is looking only to the far right that destroys democracy and the community."
Han also said, "They are distorting and belittling President Lee Jae-myung's challenge that emphasized social integration and a healthy civil society, and even resorting to anachronistic red-baiting to insult the president," adding, "If you beg the far right for votes, what comes back is the collapse of conservatism."