The Democratic Party harshly criticized Song Eon-seok, the floor leader of the People Power Party, for his comments made after he did not attend the 46th anniversary ceremony of the Gwangju Uprising on May 18, stating, "He has no right to mention the spirit of Gwangju, akin to 'Biden Season 2.'"
Kang Jun-hyun, the party's chief spokesperson, spoke to reporters at the National Assembly on May 19, saying, "It is a day to remember the significance of May 18, yet yesterday, Song made a remark during a meeting that he did not attend because he did not want to go to Gwangju, saying, 'I don't know what might happen there.' He later corrected it to 'I didn't go because I was sad.' This is akin to 'Biden Season 2.'"
Kang continued, "Whether it was because he found it dirty or sad, his attitude of acting as if he is a victim for not going to Gwangju is problematic. The constitutional amendment to include the spirit of May 18 was likely hindered by the People Power Party. They have no right to mention the spirit of Gwangju."
He emphasized, "It is appropriate to sincerely acknowledge and apologize for past actions. What significance does it hold to make excuses?"
Earlier, Song faced backlash after responding to a question from reporters about why he did not attend the May 18 ceremony by saying, "I didn't go because it was dirty." Following the controversy, he clarified that he meant he did not go because he was sad.
Additionally, Kang warned against negative campaigning by People Power Party candidates ahead of the June 3 local elections and by-elections. He stated, "The issues surrounding People Power Party candidates Oh Se-hoon and Park Hyung-jun are serious. They have not adequately addressed concerns regarding the missing rebar in the GTX-A line and allegations related to LCT. The recent controversy surrounding candidate Kim Yong-nam should not be treated as a casual campaign tactic of 'let's just throw it out there and see what sticks.'"
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.