Past remarks by Cho Kuk are being revisited following the resignation announcement of Kang Mi-jeong, spokesperson for the Cho Kuk Innovation Party. A Facebook post from 2010 comparing the tomb complexes of Gyeongju (pictured left) to "a woman's breasts" is being cited as symbolic of the party's true face, which contradicts its calls for gender equality. Composite image from Yonhap News.

Kang Mi-jeong, spokesperson for the Cho Kuk Innovation Party, abruptly announced her departure from the party at the National Assembly on the 1st. The reasons cited were the leadership's lukewarm response to an internal sexual misconduct case and the secondary victimization of those affected. The impact is significant, as it has revealed the party's true nature, which champions prosecutorial reform and democracy.

Kang stated emphatically, "I joined the Cho Kuk Innovation Party because I believed more than anyone in prosecutorial reform, but I am now convinced I have no choice but to leave. In the face of a reality where victims leave and their supporters are disciplined, justice is slow, and injustice is swift."

She specifically criticized the leadership, saying, "The Ethics Committee and Personnel Committee were filled with individuals aligned with the perpetrators," implying that the leadership chose to maintain power over protecting victims. She also claimed, "Our demand for an external investigation body was ignored for over a month."

Kang's revelations naturally turned the spotlight towards Cho Kuk, the namesake and director of the Cho Kuk Innovation Policy Research Institute, who is symbolic of the party. His name, associated with "innovation," has been brought up again due to this incident.

In a recent interview with Yonhap News, Director Cho stated, "In the political landscape after Yoon Suk-yeol, the far-right People Power Party should not exist," setting a goal for the upcoming local elections as "zero (0) for traitors and the People Power Party." However, criticism is growing that he remains silent or responds passively when faced with sexual misconduct issues within his own party.

Cho Kuk's past remarks are also being re-examined. On October 17, 2010, he posted on Facebook, "These are the tomb complexes I encountered leaving Gyeongju Gyelim. They resemble a woman's modest breasts. Natural breasts, not ones made to stick out like missiles through plastic surgery. Standing among these tombs naturally brings a sense of comfort." This post ignited controversy over misogyny.

Given that Kang's reason for leaving was gender equality, these past records are now being juxtaposed with the current reality, leading to ironic commentary.

The Democratic Party's history of sexual misconduct is also being recalled.

There have been a string of incidents, including the sexual assault case involving former Chungnam Governor Ahn Hee-jung's aide, the sexual harassment allegations against former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, the sexual assault allegations against former Busan Mayor Oh Keo-don, and the sexual misconduct case involving former lawmaker Park Wan-joo's staff. Kang's resignation is becoming a catalyst for increased distrust, suggesting that the Cho Kuk Innovation Party is not significantly different from the Democratic Party.

On the surface, the party cries out for "prosecutorial reform" and "democracy," yet internally, it tramples on the cries of its female party officials. Spokesperson Kang Mi-jeong's departure has revealed the hypocritical face of the Cho Kuk Innovation Party. The "lighthouse party" that Cho Kuk spoke of is losing its own light.

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