The Democratic Party of Korea criticized Lee Jun-seok, the presidential candidate of the Reform Party, for using graphic expressions regarding women's body parts, saying he should withdraw from the candidacy. Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party candidate, also noted, "The presidential election is being filled with hate speech."
On the afternoon of the same day, Lee Jae-myung stated on Facebook, "Korean politics cannot keep up with the dignity and standards of the people," adding, "The presidential election, which should convey the vision, policies, and hope of the Republic of Korea, is filled with slander, gossip, and hate language that cannot even be uttered."
He continued, "As a presidential candidate, I cannot hide my shame in such a situation. The politics of division, driven by harsh language, must now stop." This is interpreted as a response to Lee Jun-seok's remarks during the TV debate the previous day.
The campaign headquarters also immediately continued to criticize Lee Jun-seok. Jeong Eun-gyeong, the chief of the election strategy committee, stated at a meeting held that morning, "Lee Jun-seok has insulted the public with atrocious verbal violence. I felt sorry that many citizens may have experienced stress again."
Kim Jae-yeon, co-chair of the election strategy committee, also said, "Lee Jun-seok employed a base strategy that attacks others without considering the feelings of the citizens who are listening to those remarks, or rather exploiting those feelings, calling it extreme hate incitement." He urged for Lee Jun-seok's resignation.
The Democratic Party criticized that Lee Jun-seok must resign not only as a presidential candidate but also from his position as a member of the National Assembly.
The women's committee of the campaign headquarters released a statement, saying, "Regardless of the reason, Lee Jun-seok's remarks cannot be justified," and urged, "Lee Jun-seok should immediately apologize to the public and resign."
The Democratic Party's female lawmakers stated at a press conference that day, "All citizens watching the TV debate have been exposed to Lee Jun-seok's verbal violence and inevitably victimized. Raising horrifying misogynistic language in a public forum like a TV debate, which is viewed by all age groups, is clearly violence," adding, "The candidate should immediately apologize to the public and resign."
Kim Min-seok, the permanent co-chair of the election strategy committee, said on Facebook, "Lee Jun-seok's politics are over. He must resign," and asked, "How can we keep a low-quality individual who does not know the world in the National Assembly?"
Kim Yong-min, deputy floor leader, also criticized on Facebook, "Lee Jun-seok has crossed a line too far," urging, "He should be expelled from the National Assembly and removed from all broadcasts. A hatred instigator in politics."
Earlier, the candidate sparked controversy for using graphic expressions regarding women's body parts during a TV debate organized by the National Election Commission the previous day. Previously, the Garosero Research Institute, a YouTube channel, released a comment presumed to have been posted by Lee Jae-myung's son on an internet bulletin board in 2021, indicating that Lee Jun-seok's "chopstick remark" appeared to be directed at this.