Parties drop foul-mouthed candidates as elections near
The two main rival parties have each stripped their respective politicians of their electoral candidacies for controversial remarks made recently and also in the past, fearing that those inappropriate comments could hamper party goals as the April 10 general elections rapidly approach.
The ruling People Power Party (PPP) canceled its candidate nomination for Do Tae-woo in Daegu’s Jung and Nam constituency on Thursday night, just two days after deciding to continue with Do’s candidacy.
Do has faced criticisms over his comments stemming from a 2019 YouTube video, where he stated that “in the past, it was reasonable to think that North Korea influenced the 1980 pro-democracy uprising in Gwangju,” thereby being seen as trying to link the historic movement with North Korea, a claim often made by conservative political figures which has often caused consternation among Gwangju’s citizens.
The Gwangju Uprising was a response by the city’s residents to the May 17 coup through which Chun Doo-hwan came to power as a military dictator and implemented martial law in the country.
Despite public criticisms and PPP interim leader Han Dong-hoon’s request for reconsideration, the party’s candidate recommendation committee unanimously decided to retain his candidacy on Tuesday, stating that Do had “already issued sincere apologies.”
However, Do’s other controversial past comments were revealed afterward — during a 2019 public rally of conservatives, Do said, “Some people say that when they see such bizarre behavior from (then-President) Moon Jae-in, they imagine, ‘Will he stop only when he dies?’”
After these comments resurfaced, the committee then withdrew his candidacy, saying in a statement, “We have stated that a candidate can lose their candidacy when they cause social controversies or make comments not meeting public expectations.”
The ruling party also canceled the candidacy of Rep. Chung Wootaik for the Sangdang District of Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, on Thursday afternoon, after criticisms arose due to a video that showed him receiving an envelope filled with money from a businessman in the region. Chung said he returned the money, but the businessman said the opposite.
The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), also on Thursday night, annulled its nomination of former lawmaker Chung Bong-ju in Seoul’s Gangbuk-B constituency. In a 2017 YouTube video, Chung mocked two staff sergeants whose legs had been severed due to a land mine explosion during a 2015 mission in the Demilitarized Zone near Paju, Gyeonggi Province.
In the video, Chung said: “We have great stuff in the DMZ, don’t we? Ankle mines. We could all go into the DMZ and give out prizes. Give a set of crutches to each of those who step on the mines.”
As this became a controversy later on, Chung claimed that he apologized to the victims, but the sergeants said Chung had not.
DPK spokesperson Park Sungjoon said in a statement, “Chung caused public concern with controversies surrounding his false apologies to the victims, so the party decided to nominate another person for the constituency.”
Controversial comments made by candidates have always affected Korea’s major elections. However, it is rare to witness the two main parties both removing candidates over their past remarks soon after giving them candidacies.
This is triggering criticisms that the two parties poorly conducted their vetting and primaries to screen out problematic figures.
Though the rival parties belatedly sidelined controversial candidates, chances are high that there will be more to follow.
Jang Ye-chan, a PPP candidate for Busan’s Suyeong, is under fire for more than 10 past postings. In a 2014 post, he wrote “Wouldn’t it be a healthier society to respect professionals, even if they enjoy sexual promiscuity and flirt with people regardless of gender, as long as they demonstrate expertise in their assigned duties?”
In a 2012 post, he wrote “I want to blow up the animal hospital on the first floor of my office,” and “I doubt that the civic awareness and cultural level of people in Seoul can even come close to the dust on the toenails of Japanese people.”
On Saturday, the PPP canceled the candidacy of Jang, saying, “Following extensive discussions, it has been confirmed that Jang made numerous remarks that went against the public sentiment and were inappropriate for a candidate seeking public office.”