Debate Over 'Jung Ihan's Staged Incident'... Lee Jun-seok Alleges "People Power Party Plot," Joo Jinwoo Calls It "The Pot Calling the Kettle Black"

Lee Jun-seok, leader of the Reform New Party, and the People Power Party are trading barbs over the staged attack by former candidate Jung Ihan, who ran for Busan mayor under the Reform New Party. After Lee criticized, saying, "I don't know if someone from the People Power Party orchestrated this incident during the election, and whether that's why moths are flocking to it," Assemblyman Joo Jinwoo, who served as chief election campaign chairman for Park Hyungjoon, the People Power Party's Busan mayoral candidate, shot back, calling Lee's remarks "the pot calling the kettle black."

Lee Junseok, leader of the Reform New Party, is speaking at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly. Photo by Yonhap News

Through posts on his social networking service (SNS) accounts between July 11 and 12, Lee stated, "Jung Ihan is someone who worked as an aide in the People Power Party."

He added, "It's not that I'm staying silent because I don't know who in the People Power Party approached Jung Ihan and caused him to harbor such strange ideas," and warned, "If any candidate's camp made a questionable proposal to Jung Ihan, you are finished."

Regarding the issue of consolidating conservative candidates in the Busan mayoral race, he continued, "The Reform New Party, as a matter of party policy, did not allow any candidate to participate in unification talks," and explained, "So, as for what led former candidate Jung to decide to pursue unification, who on which side made it happen, and what transpired at the moment he became convinced, we have only pieced it together after the fact."

In response, Assemblyman Joo wrote on Facebook the same day, "Lee Jun-seok, leader of the Reform New Party, has raised allegations that the People Power Party orchestrated this," and criticized, "This is the pot calling the kettle black, further angering Busan voters who have been deceived."

He continued, "If, as Lee claims, the People Power Party had known about Jung Ihan's staged incident, we would have immediately revealed it. There is absolutely no reason for us to help Jung Ihan split the vote," and demanded, "Lee should stop muddying the waters and immediately disclose any facts he knows."

Regarding the Busan police, Joo asserted, "The political police delayed arrest and public disclosure, allowing Jung Ihan to stay in the race even after his confession," and argued, "That's because if Jung Ihan stayed in the race, Democratic Party candidate Chun Jaesu would benefit."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.