"Strong Adversaries" MC Jin Joong-kwon delivered a painful direct hit with his spicy remarks on this week's hot political issues.
On the 16th, the TV Chosun cultural program "Strong Adversaries" featured former Democratic Party floor leader Hong Ik-pyo, former People Power Party floor leader Kim Seong-tae, former CBS editorial director Kim Gyu-wan, and former Kyunghyang Shinmun reporter Kim Jun-il, who engaged in sharp debates over key issues shaking the South Korean political arena, from the first national appointment ceremony after President Lee Jae-myung's inauguration to the controversies surrounding Cho Kuk and Yoon Mi-hyang, the unprecedented simultaneous arrest of a former presidential couple, and the chaos within the People Power Party's national convention.
First, regarding the situation where President Lee Jae-myung's national appointment ceremony became a half-hearted inauguration due to the absence of former presidents from conservative administrations and the People Power Party, commentator Kim Gyu-wan pointed out, "The meaning of national unity should be preserved, but it felt like a league of their own, a party for them only." Former reporter Kim Jun-il analyzed, "It is highly likely that the People Power Party did not attend under some pretext," adding, "It seems that Representative Jeong Cheong-rae's statement of 'I won't even shake hands' also contributed to the worsening situation."
As President Lee Jae-myung's approval ratings hit a record low since his inauguration, evaluations also followed that the controversies surrounding the pardons of former representative Cho Kuk and lawmaker Yoon Mi-hyang affected the decline in approval ratings. Commentator Kim Gyu-wan sharply remarked, "The pardon of Cho Kuk seems to be for President Lee Jae-myung himself," stating, "I believe he considered the political effect that the investigation he received from the prosecution was unjust and manipulated." Former lawmaker Hong Ik-pyo said, "In any case, the public has given another opportunity," but Professor Jin Joong-kwon immediately countered, "The public did not give an opportunity. Did they not deny their mistakes until the end?" He lamented, "This kind of thing becoming normal for sending someone to university is truly heartbreaking. The Cho Kuk incident confirmed that Korean society is essentially a class-based society."
Commentator Kim Gyu-wan also hinted, "I understand that President Moon Jae-in's request was very strong," evaluating, "Through this pardon, President Lee Jae-myung has paid off all debts to the previous government and declared his own way." Former reporter Kim Jun-il bluntly stated, "The honeymoon is over," adding, "There will be political aftershocks from the pardon," and predicted, "Maintaining the approval rating above 50% will be a challenging task going forward."
The discussion then shifted to the unprecedented simultaneous arrest of a former presidential couple. Former lawmaker Hong Ik-pyo stated, "There was a realm of unilateral crime by Mrs. Kim Geon-hee, to the extent that it is called the Kim Geon-hee special investigation, so the arrest was inevitable." Professor Jin Joong-kwon also agreed, saying, "I don't think it's excessive. There is no room for excuses." Commentator Kim Gyu-wan warned, "If the arrest of a couple is excessive, we could see cases of siblings or mother-daughter arrests." Former reporter Kim Jun-il pointed out, "This could be just the tip of the iceberg. The core of this situation is that the People Power Party knew everything internally but could not control it."
In particular, Professor Jin Joong-kwon shared an anecdote about having a direct conversation with Mrs. Kim Geon-hee, saying, "She asked me, 'What should I do?' and I told her, 'Do nothing.' I advised her not to meet people or make phone calls to discuss various matters. I told her that everything would be recorded, and it would come out in two or three years," expressing his regret. Former lawmaker Kim Seong-tae lamented, "This is not simply a matter that can be dismissed as Mrs. Kim's crime. This issue will lead to a situation where it will be difficult for conservatives to recover."
Finally, the current state of confusion and division surrounding the People Power Party's national convention centered around Jeon Han-gil was also brought to the table. Commentator Kim Gyu-wan revealed a behind-the-scenes story, saying, "I understand that many lawmakers within the party came to Jeon Han-gil to persuade him to exercise restraint." Former lawmaker Kim Seong-tae self-deprecatingly remarked, "It is truly tragic that Jeon Han-gil has an impact on the outcomes of the national convention." Former lawmaker Hong Ik-pyo humorously stated, "As a joke, they say that the era of instructors has come after the era of women, legal affairs, and prosecutors in the People Power Party," making everyone burst into laughter.
At the end of the broadcast, Professor Jin Joong-kwon raised fundamental issues regarding the pardon of politicians with his characteristic spicy remarks. He declared, "There should be no pardons for politicians," stating, "Even if one receives a guilty verdict from the judiciary, there is a way to escape through political means. The majority of the public lives under the rule of law, but some live above the law." He emphasized, "The power of pardon has only resulted in division, not national unity. There needs to be restrictions going forward."
On this day, "Strong Adversaries" traced the controversies shaking the political arena, from the absence at the appointment ceremony to the simultaneous arrest of a former presidential couple and the internal chaos of the ruling party, confirming that the fundamental tasks of cooperation and trust are once again the hot topics in politics. It also sharply revealed the realities and challenges facing Korean politics, leaving a deep impression on the viewers.
Meanwhile, TV CHOSUN's "Strong Adversaries" airs every Saturday at 9:10 PM.
[Kim So-yeon, Star Today Reporter]
