Park Ji-hyeon, former chairman of the Democratic Party’s joint emergency countermeasures committee, criticized Rep. Choi Kang-wook, who applied for a retrial after disobeying the disciplinary action of ‘suspending party membership for six months’, saying, “I am infinitely ashamed.”
Former Chairman Park Park posted on his Facebook page on the 22nd, “I’m just ashamed of the people. I am ashamed of the violent fandom that even criminalizes me for my efforts to reflect and innovate in the Democratic Party. “I am ashamed of the ‘coordinates of the same council’ that deny that the disciplinary action is wrong, reveal the faces of the members of the Ethics Tribunal, and launch personal attacks,” he said.
He continued, “I am infinitely ashamed of Rep. Choi Kang-wook, who still refuses to admit his mistake and rejects the decision of the Ethics Judge with a lengthy rebuttal, applies for a reconsideration and drags the party into a deep abyss. The members of the council are also ashamed as if they attacked me without even a single word of apology, even after calling for a disastrous election defeat due to probation, protection of sexual harassment, and disgrace to Han Dong-hoon’s hearing.”
“It’s really sad,” he said. The Democratic Party has entrusted me with the role of the chairman of the platoon to reflect and renew me. But every time I reflected on it, he pointed at me, and every time I renewed, he threatened me. They say that I lost to the branch line because there was no reflection and renewal, and they are blaming me for being defeated in the branch line by constantly shouting reflection and renewal.”
He continued, “After a devastating defeat at the Jiseon, I formed a second escort to reflect and renew. But it’s still the same. No renewal, no reflection. The party has lost its way. No more falling into the pit. It should stop here. The march of self-destruction must cease. As if carrying a strong fandom and refusing to reflect and renew, we have to overcome the society and step forward on the path of innovation. Please help the people,” he said.
Park said, “The violent fandom ruined local elections, but it cannot ruin the next general election and presidential election. If the party is left to a hardline fandom that ignores the livelihood of the people and encourages confrontation and conflict, the country and its people will become unhappy. Please help,” he pleaded.
Finally, he said, “I beg you again. Before the Democratic Party is completely abandoned by the public, Rep. Choi Kang-wook must withdraw the request for a retrial and sincerely apologize. As the biggest responsibility for Jiseon’s defeat, the Rae-hoe should cut off ties with the strong fandom and return to the people’s arms. It should be a democracy that only looks at the people. We must no longer become a shameful political party in front of the people,” he urged.
Earlier, on the 2nd of last month, there was a controversy that Rep. Choi made sexually harassing remarks towards a fellow lawmaker at an online meeting of Democratic lawmakers belonging to the National Assembly’s Legislative and Judiciary Committee. Accordingly, the Democratic Ethics Committee unanimously confirmed the disciplinary action against Rep. Choi’s six-month party membership suspension at a meeting on the 21st.
However, Rep. Choi himself, who went to the vindication, did not acknowledge the facts. Rep. Choi said on his Facebook page, “I would like to seek additional clarification and judgment on the facts and legal principles through the application process for retrial given by the party constitution and bylaws regarding the decision of the Ethics Tribunal.”
He said, “I know that there is no direct evidence of the case, and conflicting or different opinions on various statements and circumstances have been submitted. ” he said.
Correspondent Chi-hoon Song, Donga.com sch53@donga.com
