PPP slams Democratic Party's 90-degree bow as 'groveling to party bosses'

The People Power Party took aim at the Democratic Party of Korea's collective 90-degree bow at a recent caucus meeting — which drew criticism within the party — calling it a "bow to party bosses" and urging the Democratic Party to first apologize for its failed policies.

PPP spokesperson Jo Yong-sul said in a statement Sunday that the public found the display uncomfortable because "all that remained was the embarrassing sight of them bowing to one another, with no humility left for the people."

Jo said the Democratic Party government had pushed through the abolition of prosecutors' supplementary investigative powers despite majority public opposition, pressed ahead with a plan to merge military academies that most people opposed, allowed real estate policy to go increasingly off course, and was even shaking the South Korea-US alliance.

"It is simply absurd from the public's perspective that the ruling forces, who should be looking after people's livelihoods and national security, are from the very start preoccupied only with the angle and staging of their '90-degree bow to party bosses' while ignoring the public's voice," Jo said. "What the Democratic Party should be thinking about first is not the angle of a bow, but a '90-degree bow of reflection' toward the people."

Jo added that "this is the time for genuine humility — correcting the policies they pursued wrongly and listening to the public's voice." If the Democratic Party truly respects the people, Jo said, it should not be polishing a performative 90-degree bow but instead looking back on the policies that made people's lives harder and sincerely bowing 90 degrees before the public in apology.

Jo also criticized Kim, who had addressed the controversy on Saturday via Facebook, writing that the bow "may have looked excessive because many people did it and bowed deeply" and that "the feeling also differs depending on the photo angle." Kim added that he trusted party public relations chief Kim Nam-jun to soon refine a group greeting that was both meaningful and visually appealing.

Regarding that post, Jo said Kim was "trying to pass off responsibility for the follow-up to the party's PR chief and dismiss the whole thing as a non-issue," and called Kim "the very person who personally proposed this performance."

Kim had proposed the bow at the party's caucus meeting on Thursday, saying "the party's language is not text but images" and suggesting that "as one such image, let us begin every party event with a 90-degree bow to show our respect for the people." All Democratic Party lawmakers then bowed 90 degrees in unison.

After the footage was made public, however, critics said the display was an excessive, staged performance.