Cho Kuk, head of policy at the Rebuilding Korea Party's Innovation Policy Institute, on the 14th took issue with Democratic Party of Korea leader Kim Min-seok's remarks suggesting the current ruling camp's situation is similar to the period before former President Roh Moo-hyun's impeachment, saying it was "a remark that does not help the president at all," setting himself at odds with Kim.
Cho wrote on his Facebook page that afternoon, "Leader Kim Min-seok brought up 'Roh Moo-hyun's impeachment' to criticize Governor Choo Mi-ae," adding, "If this happens, the notion of 'impeaching Lee Jae-myung' will spread."
He continued, calling it "a remark that does not help President Lee Jae-myung at all," and said, "Impeaching this president? No way. There is nothing unconstitutional or illegal."
He then cited George Lakoff's book "Don't Think of an Elephant." The point is that the more you emphasize not to think a particular thought, the more it comes to mind and gets reinforced. Referring to this, Cho asked rhetorically, "(Truly) do you not know?"
Earlier in the morning, on "Democratic Party TV," Kim had said of Gyeonggi Governor Choo Mi-ae's criticism of the president, "Isn't this moving toward a situation similar to the early period when President Roh Moo-hyun was settling in during his first year and inside and outside forces joined to try to impeach him?" He likened the conflict within the ruling camp to the early impeachment climate under the Roh administration.
Meanwhile, although Cho did not mention Kim by name that day, he sounded as if criticizing Kim by interpreting the drop in President Lee's approval rating as tied to the actions of some within the party.
Sharing on his Facebook page the results of a poll that put President Lee's approval rating at 33.8%, Cho said it was "the result of a strategy to form a 'structural majority' by casting aside as enemies 'Moon Jae-in, Cho Kuk, Kim Ou-joon, Jung Chung-rae, and Ryu Si-min' and centering on a 'New Lee Jae-myung.'"
He went on, "This is serious. The person who says that with only a 'New Lee Jae-myung' we can succeed in state affairs, win the general election, and regain power is precisely a treacherous courtier," adding, "The person who denies the 'relay' of democratic governments and habitually sows division within the camp is a 'traitorous subject.'"