Democratic Party of Korea calls on minor candidate to resign over remarks aimed at Lee Jae-myung

New Reform Party presidential candidate Lee Jun-seok speaks to reporters the day after the third presidential debate, Wednesday. (Yonhap)
New Reform Party presidential candidate Lee Jun-seok speaks to reporters the day after the third presidential debate, Wednesday. (Yonhap)

New Reform Party presidential candidate Lee Jun-seok is facing resignation calls over his mention of what he said was online sexual harassment by a rival candidate's son during Tuesday's televised presidential debate.

Halfway through the debate, Lee referred to online comments from three years ago allegedly made by the son of Democratic Party of Korea candidate Lee Jae-myung. The New Reform Party candidate's description of the comments included mentions of physical assault and women's body parts.

Lee Jun-seok then asked another debate participant, Kwon Young-gook of the minor Democratic Labor Party, if such remarks would be considered misogynistic based on his party's standards.

Kwon declined to respond on the spot, and later clarified in a statement that he did not understand what he was being asked about.

"Lee Jun-seok used the presidential debate as a platform to deliver clearly misogynistic remarks," Kwon said. "By quoting these remarks on air, without any filters, he made himself a perpetrator of misogyny."

The Democratic Labor Party soon issued a statement urging Lee to resign for "exposing the South Korean public to verbal sexual harassment."

On Wednesday, the main liberal Democratic Party of Korea held a series of press conferences calling on the New Reform Party candidate to step down and exit the election race, accusing him of a public display of misogyny.

Following the uproar over his showdown at the debate, the New Reform Party candidate told reporters Wednesday he "wouldn't know how to water down the comments."

"I was merely quoting what was said (purportedly by Lee Jae-myung's son)," he said.

Lee Jun-seok apologized for making people uncomfortable, but added that he felt it was important that such behavior by a member of a presidential candidate's family be put under public scrutiny.

At the debate, the New Reform Party candidate unearthed other past controversial remarks by Lee Jae-myung, including lewd insults the Democratic Party candidate leveled at his sister-in-law on record.

Pressed to explain, the Democratic Party candidate said, "I have apologized before, and well, I can do it again."

Democratic Party of Korea presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung speaks at a campaign rally in Seoul on Wednesday. (Yonhap)
Democratic Party of Korea presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung speaks at a campaign rally in Seoul on Wednesday. (Yonhap)

Lee Jae-myung, in an apparent jab at the New Reform Party candidate, said in a statement Wednesday that South Korean politics was being "bombarded with language of hatred."

"As a presidential candidate, I am ashamed. This election should be about policies and visions for this country. Instead, it has turned into a contest of hateful and divisive rhetoric," the Democratic Party of Korea candidate said.

The last time he ran for president in the 2022 race, also as the Democratic Party's candidate, Lee apologized for his son's "imprudent behavior."


arin@heraldcorp.com