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| Lee Jae-myung, third from left, the presidential candidate of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, holds a meeting with residents in Seongju County, North Gyeongsang Province, Monday. Yonhap |
By Kang Seung-woo
The ruling Democratic Party of Korea's (DPK) presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung is facing mounting criticism for frequent inconsistency in his words and policy pledges.
Although such divergent comments are seen as an attempt to drop his hardline image and woo centrists and even conservatives, some of the shifts in stance counter the political views of the DPK and the even the liberal candidate himself, with some party members worrying that ideological inconsistency may disillusion even diehard supporters.
The latest example of this inconsistency can be seen in Lee's comments acknowledging the economic achievements of former dictator Chun Doo-hwan.
The former Gyeonggi Province governor had been sharply critical of Chun, who seized power in a 1979 coup and ruled the country with an iron fist from 1980 to 1988. His dictatorship was highlighted by the bloody suppression of the 1980 pro-democracy movement in Gwangju.
Last weekend, Lee traveled to Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province, which are the strongholds of the conservative main opposition People Power Party (PPP). While meeting with residents there, Lee said Chun left behind both mistakes and achievements.
"He helped the nation's economy enjoy a rapid acceleration, taking full advantage of the so-called three lows ― low oil prices, low interest rates and a low dollar value [against the won]," Lee said.
The comments contrasted starkly with his previous remarks made last month after Chun died. At that time, Lee refused to offer his condolences to the former leader, denouncing him as a usurper and the prime culprit behind the massacre of hundreds of civilians.
In addition, Lee strongly criticized his PPP rival Yoon Suk-yeol of making remarks complimenting Chun in October, calling Yoon's defense of the former strongman unforgivable.
In the wake of the brouhaha, Lee said his point was that Chun was a historically unforgivable figure, although a few things he did were laudable.
"It is not advisable to excerpt only some of my remarks and make a political attack," Lee said, Sunday.
However, in response to Lee's about-face on Chun, the opposition side took its own jab at him.
"The public sentiment in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province would not be in favor of Lee even though he made a reassessment of Chun there. It is pitiful," PPP Chairman Lee Jun-seok said in a radio interview, Monday.
Rep. Sim Sang-jeung, the presidential candidate of the minor opposition Justice Party, also said it should not be an election strategy to re-evaluate Chun, who died without apologizing for overthrowing the government or suppressing the pro-democracy movement.
"Lee's efforts to distance himself from the Moon Jae-in administration might make him look like a PPP candidate," she wrote on Facebook.
Political critic Chin Jung-kwon also said, "Is it imaginable to see a DPK candidate praise Chun? It shows how screwed up the party is now."
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