Main opposition leader under fire for inappropriate comments

Main opposition United Future Party (UFP) Chairman Hwang Kyo-ahn speaks during an election campaign rally in Seoul's Jongno District, Saturday. Hwang has faced criticism for a series of inconsiderate remarks which supporters said were 'slips of the tongue.' Yonhap

By Jung Da-min

Main opposition United Future Party (UFP) Chairman Hwang Kyo-ahn has come under fire for a series of remarks he made on sexual exploitation and physically challenged people.

His continuous series of inconsiderate statements are being criticized even among party members, who say he is not being helpful but is damaging the party's image ahead of the April 15 general election.

Hwang took part in an open forum in Seoul last Wednesday and discussed punitive measures for those involved in cyber sexual exploitation and abuse on SNS platforms, which has recently become a hot topic following the so-called “Nth room” case on Telegram. Hwang said, “Punishment could be different for those who entered the Nth room out of curiosity and later stopped using the service thinking it inappropriate.”

The comment came as public anger remains high about the operators of the Telegram group chat rooms that subjected women, including dozens of minors, to sexual exploitation and abuse. People have called for stern punishment for not only the operators but also all users of the service who they say abetted in the crimes.

People lashed out at him for “lacking gender sensitivity” and not understanding the case as users needed to go through a series of steps and know a certain link to enter the Nth room and pay up to 2 million won ($1,617) for “premium services” ― meaning it was impossible to “enter the room out of curiosity.” Noting Hwang was a judge, many also said such a lenient stance toward perpetrators by judges has allowed sex crimes to flourish here.

Members of the minor opposition Minjung Party hold a press conference in Seoul, Thursday, to condemn the main opposition United Future Party Chairman Hwang Kyo-ahn's remarks implying the need to give lenient punishment for those who used the “Nth room” group chat rooms on Telegram, where sexual exploitation and abuse of minors took place. Yonhap

As the controversy mounted, Hwang backtracked later the same day, saying that he meant the legal assessment of a case required multiple layers of consideration with regard to sentencing as a general principle. “But all of those involved in the Nth room case should not be subject to the general principle because they committed an atrocious crime which cannot and should not be forgiven,” he added.

Hwang's “mistakes,” however, continued the same day as he petted the guide dog of a blind candidate for proportional representation from the UFP's satellite party, the Future Korea Party. Hwang's behavior brought public criticism as it is a breach of etiquette to touch or distract guide dogs for the safety of the people who rely on them.

The following day, he made another “inappropriate” comment during a campaign rally in Seoul's Jongno District, the constituency in which he is competing against Lee Nak-yon, head of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) election campaign committee.

Talking about the lengthened ballot paper due to the 35 parties seeking proportional representation seats, Hwang said, “A short person will not even be able to hold the ballot paper on their own.”

This remark was denounced for degrading short people. “Does Hwang mean short people cannot even hold a ballot paper and thus should give up their right to vote?” Rep. Kang Hoon-sik of the DPK said in a statement.

Such inappropriate remarks come as the UFP with its two-tier leadership of Hwang and Kim Chong-in, a veteran economist and politician who is head of the party's election committee, is making all-out efforts to beat the DPK. The two had dinner Thursday and Kim later told reporters that he had told Hwang to focus on his race in Jongno ― apparently being mindful that Hwang's slips of tongue could cost the party.

But it seems Hwang is not finished. “They are busy finding fault with me over every minor thing,” Hwang wrote on Facebook, Friday. “That's enough.”