Cho Kuk slams Kim Min-seok for 'spreading idea of impeaching Lee Jae Myung'

Cho Kuk, head of the Rebuilding Korea Party's innovation policy research institute, on Monday criticized Democratic Party of Korea leader Kim Min-seok for invoking the impeachment of former President Roh Moo-hyun to attack Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae, calling the remarks "completely unhelpful" to President Lee Jae Myung.

Writing on his Facebook page, Cho warned that such comments risk spreading "the notion of impeaching Lee Jae Myung," adding: "Don't they know the rule — 'don't think of an elephant'?" He went on to say that impeaching President Lee was "out of the question," insisting there had been "absolutely no unconstitutional or unlawful conduct."

The remarks were directed at Kim, who appeared Monday morning on the Democratic Party's YouTube channel "Minti 07" and suggested the current situation resembled "the early signs of the period when forces inside and outside the party joined hands to impeach President Roh Moo-hyun during his first year in office."

Kim made the comments during a discussion with philosopher Kim Yong-ok and former Democratic Party deputy spokesperson Seong Chi-hun on the qualities of leadership needed for the times and President Lee's political philosophy. Kim also weighed in on remarks Governor Choo made Saturday — in which she asked why the president was "cowering and clinging to insurrection forces instead of punishing them" — saying Choo "would need to explain herself."

Cho has kept up a stream of sharp criticism as President Lee's approval rating and the Democratic Party's polling numbers have declined. Citing a survey released Monday, Cho said the results were the consequence of a strategy to "cut out" what he called the "Mun-Jo-Teol-Rae-Yu" faction and build a "structural majority" centered on what he termed "New Lee Jae Myung."

He went on to say that "anyone who claims national governance can succeed, general elections can be won, and power can be reclaimed on 'New Lee Jae Myung' alone is a sycophant," and that "anyone who denies the relay of democratic governance and sows division within the camp is a traitor."

A Realmeter survey conducted for the Energy Economy Newspaper from Sept. 7 to 11 among 2,515 adults aged 18 and older nationwide found that positive assessments of President Lee's job performance stood at 33.8 percent, down 3.6 percentage points from the previous week. The poll used an automated wireless response method, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.0 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level and a response rate of 4.5 percent.

A separate party approval survey conducted Thursday through Saturday among 1,003 adults aged 18 and older nationwide showed the People Power Party at 42.1 percent and the Democratic Party at 36.1 percent — the first reversal in party standings in roughly two months. The poll used an automated wireless response method, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level and a response rate of 3.6 percent. Further details are available on the website of the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission.