Clash Over Special Counsel on Fabricated Indictments, Supreme Court Renomination at Cheong Wa Dae's "National Unity" Broadcast... PPP Figure Delivers Sharp Criticism

Shin Jooho, former full-time deputy spokesperson for the People Power Party: "Must stop the tyranny"... Also criticizes the president's social media communication
Cheong Wa Dae Secretary Heo Euna: "We should verify the facts before discussing this"
Former lawmaker Kim Yongnam: "Extremism fuels political distrust"
On economic policy: "I think the overall direction is right"

Shin Jooho, a former full-time deputy spokesperson for the People Power Party who was invited to a national unity forum at Cheong Wa Dae as a conservative figure, publicly delivered sharp criticism of the Lee Jaemyung Administration, saying it "must stop its tyranny." He cited issues including a special counsel bill on fabricated indictments and the request to renominate a Supreme Court justice. Heo Euna, the forum's moderator and Cheong Wa Dae's secretary for national unity, countered that the claims had not been verified. Former lawmaker Kim Yongnam cautioned against political extremism while backing the direction of the Lee Jaemyung Administration's economic policies. A forum intended to seek solutions for national unity through dialogue among people with differing political views turned into a heated dispute over the current administration's governance.

The phoenix flag is flying at the Blue House in Seoul on Dec. 29, as the Blue House era officially resumes after a 3-year-and-7-month hiatus, with President Lee Jaemyung arriving for work. Dec. 29, 2025. Photo by Jo Yongjun

The seventh episode of "National Unity: We Need to Talk!" was broadcast live at 2 p.m. on November 11 from the open studio at Chunchugwan in Cheong Wa Dae. Kim and Shin appeared on the program, hosted by Heo. It was reportedly the first time since the Lee Jaemyung Administration took office that a member of a conservative party had been invited to a YouTube discussion independently organized by Cheong Wa Dae.

Shin identified the governing party's approach to running the country as a cause of public distrust in politics. "When things don't go their way, the government and ruling party are pushing legislation through recklessly and breaking down the systems of the Republic of Korea," he said. "Aren't they trying to launch a special counsel to erase the president's crimes?" He went on to criticize the demand to renominate a Supreme Court justice, saying, "The president and the ruling party are leading the way in undermining the separation of powers." Heo intervened, saying, "This is Cheong Wa Dae, and we are not here to speak for the Democratic Party," and, "We should check whether those claims are factual before discussing them."

Shin, however, stood his ground, saying, "I'm speaking about the issues that concern the public." Heo retorted, "That's not why we're doing this. I know the facts, so I don't want to interrupt, but it's unfortunate that you feel you have to put it that way."

President Lee's North Korea policy also came under scrutiny. Citing an incident in which South Korean soldiers were injured by a North Korean landmine, Shin claimed that the president called it an "unforeseen accident" to secure political gains through a conciliatory policy toward North Korea. Kim countered that "the dictionary meaning of 'unforeseen' is something unexpected or unintended," and said it was unreasonable to link the expression to political intent.

They also disagreed over President Lee's direct communication through social media. "It's time for the president to stop using social media," Shin said. "Arguing in the comments on posts by people who disagree with him, even slightly, is not communication." He added that "unilaterally saying only what you want to say is not communication; it's a declaration," and urged the president to listen more to critical voices among people facing hardships in their daily lives.

Heo emphasized that President Lee was expanding his engagement with the public not only online but also through on-site meetings. "The president communicates extensively online, but he also engages extensively with people in person," she said, explaining that he went beyond visiting markets to hold meetings directly with local residents.

Kim pointed to structural causes of political conflict. "When people making extreme arguments become the mainstream force in one camp or another, it becomes difficult to have any further dialogue," he said, calling for a change to a political structure centered on hard-liners. He argued in particular that nomination systems encourage politicians to make hard-line remarks in regions where one party enjoys overwhelming support, since securing the backing of enthusiastic party members alone can make election victory likely.

Kim gave a positive assessment of the Lee Jaemyung Administration's economic policies. "There have been some minor errors in specific policies, and that has drawn criticism," he said, "but I believe the overall direction is right." He voiced support for the policy approach of increasing the share of financial assets through improved corporate governance and normalization of the capital market.

Policy proposals were also raised to build political trust among young people. Kim proposed what he called a "K-Sovereign Wealth Fund," to be managed over the long term using funds such as the Future Response Fund. He suggested raising about 300 trillion won and investing it over 30 years, explaining that this could ease young people's concerns about life after retirement. Heo said she would pass the idea on to the Cheong Wa Dae secretary responsible for the matter.

The program cited a survey by the National Unity Committee showing that 92.4% of respondents considered conflict between conservatives and progressives serious, while 70.4% said they were willing to talk with people who held different views. The guests agreed that the political sphere was not doing enough to support the public's willingness to engage in dialogue.

Closing the program, Heo stressed, "We need to find ways to live together by acknowledging and understanding our differences, rather than rejecting people who think differently from us." Kim also advised, "We need patience to achieve harmony. First, we need to hold back and listen, and sometimes we also need to reflect on our own perspectives."

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