Yoon hit by martyr's offspring

President-elect Park Geun-hye’s chief spokesman Yoon Chang-jung announces newly appointed members of the transition team at the headquarters of Saenuri Party in Seoul, Thursday. / Yonhap

By Jung Min-ho

Yun Bong-gil Patriotic martyr

President-elect Park Geun-hye’s incoming chief spokesman Yoon Chang-jung is drawing virulent responses from the descendants of patriotic martyr Yun Bong-gil’s, following a statement he gave Tuesday in which he claimed to be related to the historical figure.

“He is dishonoring the name of the national hero by selling Yun’s name with political purpose,” Patriot Yun Bong-gil Memorial Director Yang Byeong-yong told The Korea Times. “For the past 13 years working here, I have never heard of him.”

Yun is a famous Korean independence activist who died after bombing Japanese dignitaries in Shanghai in 1932.

The head of the organization also denied his statement, saying “According to his logic, there are 1.2 million descendants nationwide with the same family name.”

“More importantly, he has not participated in any activities for the organization, and he is not even a member,” President Chae Jung-suk was quoted as saying by News1.

Saenuri Party lawmaker Ha Tae-kyung in a press release Thursday said “This malicious witch-hunt should be stopped” in an apparent bid to calm the ensuing tension that has since been created. According to him, his independent checks and sources indicate that Yoon’s statement is true.

But Yang still remains unconvinced saying, “That’s not the point.”

“The question lies in whether he is in a position to make such a statement rather than whether he really is Yun’s descendant,” Yang said. “Because I think he is not.”

Meanwhile, the main opposition Democratic United Party (DUP) repeatedly called for the president-elect to revoke her appointment of Yoon, saying Park’s political pledge to unify the country will be adversely affected by the ultra-right wing spokesman.

“Park’s decision came because of a lack of communication with people, and we are concerned that she will continue to make important decisions like this on her own,” DUP spokesman Youn Kwan-souk said. “Yoon should resign immediately.”

Amid mounting criticism surrounding Yoon, the ruling Saenuri Party floor leader Hwang Woo-yeo defended his appointment.

“Park’s decisions about the appointment imply much beyond what is understood,” Hwang said. “He has been an active polemicist but, I believe, he will do this to fulfill his new duties as a chief spokesman from this point.”

Yoon, a former political journalist, drew mixed reactions from the left and the right because of his professional 30-year record of using politically inflammatory language.

During the previous presidential campaign, the cynical columnist came under fire when he described Park’s former rival Moon Jae-in of the DUP as “the leader of anti-South Korean forces”, while citing his party member as a “dirty group of people from the sewer.”

He also called former Prime Minister Jung Woon-chan a “political whore” after Jung expressed his support for Moon.