A commemorative photo of Jeon Jae-soo (center), former Minister of Oceans and Fisheries, holding the autobiography of the Unification Church leader. Courtesy of Jeon Jae-soo's Facebook

Former Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Jeon Jae-soo is facing controversy for using the phrase "older brothers and sisters from my constituency" in relation to a commemorative photo with the autobiography of the Unification Church leader. 

In response to Jeon's explanation that he couldn't refuse when "older brothers and sisters from my constituency" brought books and asked to take photos together during the election campaign, Choi Bo-yoon, the senior spokesperson for the People Power Party, issued a statement on the 16th, asking, "Is this the second installment of 'older brother and sister' language, following 'Hun-sik hyung' and 'Hyun-ji noona'? Is it an extension of the Democratic Party's so-called 'older brother/sister language culture' that Representative Park Jie-won speaks of?" 

Choi added, "The attitude of an individual in a position of public responsibility attempting to manage controversy with private appellations clearly demonstrates how lightly the Lee Jae-myung administration and the ruling party regard their public responsibilities." He further stated, "This 'family appellation politics,' which is repeatedly seen only under the Lee Jae-myung administration, does not appear as friendliness to the public, but rather as privilege and exclusivity." 

Furthermore, when suspicions arose that Jeon Jae-soo attended a Unification Church event held in Busan on September 9, 2018, he explained, "I was weeding graves in my hometown of Uiryeong." However, payment records from a restaurant in Busan were confirmed on the same day in his political fund expenditure details. 

Regarding this, Choi expressed concern, stating, "What is the intention behind the explanation that only emphasized 'weeding graves in Uiryeong,' while omitting any mention of the possibility of visiting Busan? Presenting an alibi to obscure the issue, rather than clarifying the facts, only fuels suspicions instead of resolving them." 

He also pointed out, "What the public is asking is not 'where were you that day,' but about the suspicions of receiving tens of millions of won in cash and luxury watches, and whether there was any quid pro quo." He criticized, "The core of the suspicions is 'money and watches,' yet the responses received are only emotional explanations like 'older brothers and sisters' and 'grave weeding.'" 

Choi further stated, "The police's forced investigation conducted yesterday demonstrates why a special prosecutor is necessary. In relation to the illegal funding suspicions, the execution of the warrant at the lawmaker's office was delayed by more than two hours compared to other locations, and reports have emerged of the sound of a document shredder operating inside the office when investigators arrived, raising suspicions of evidence tampering." 

He also revealed, "Despite President Lee Jae-myung's clear directive to conduct a strict investigation regardless of party affiliation or rank, the Democratic Party is refusing to introduce a special prosecutor, contradicting their own words that 'those who avoid a special prosecutor are the culprits.'" 

Continuing his sharp criticism, Choi concluded his statement with the following remarks:

"The only solution to uncover the truth of the Unification Church-Democratic Party Gate is an opposition party-recommended special prosecutor independent of the Lee Jae-myung administration. The Democratic Party should stop hiding behind 'older brothers and sisters' and answer to the public with the truth."

Editorial Department, Hanmi Ilbo