"Outdated leftist rhetoric, talk of communism"
"Nothing but crude attacks on the government"
The Democratic Party of Korea on Tuesday sharply criticized a floor speech by People Power Party Floor Leader Jeong Jeom-sik. It called the address "nothing but far-right rhetoric and curses, devoid of any responsibility or alternatives."
Park Sung-jun, chief spokesperson for the Democratic Party, made the remarks during a briefing that day. He said Jeong's speech "looked like nothing more than the provocative agitation of a far-right YouTuber."
"The outdated leftist rhetoric and talk of communism amounted to nothing but red-baiting befitting a former public security prosecutor handpicked by Hwang Kyo-ahn," Park said. "No one will pay attention to the People Power Party's behavior of hurling curses without the slightest dignity or even a hint of an alternative."
"Floor Leader Jeong must decide whether he will walk the path of a far-right YouTuber rather than that of the floor leader of the largest opposition party," Park said. He urged Jeong to "restore politics as soon as possible and open the door to coexistence rather than confrontation."
Criticism from the Democratic Party's leadership and lawmakers followed. Supreme Council Member Han Min-soo, writing on Facebook, called Jeong's speech "the worst in history." He said Jeong "hurled every kind of crude remark to attack the Lee Jae Myung government over allegations of plunder and fraud."
Lawmaker Park Hong-bae also criticized the speech, saying, "Attacking with harsher words does not make people's lives any better. I wish they would put even half the energy they spend demonizing their opponents into finding solutions for people's livelihoods."
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