As the main voting day of the June 3 presidential election approaches tomorrow, the Democratic Party of Korea and the People Power Party are battling over the controversies of 'impersonating Jim Rogers' and 'manipulating comments.' In the political arena, it is seen as a potential 'last-minute variable' that could sway voter sentiment.
Jang Dong-hyuk, head of the People Power Party's election strategy committee, held a press conference at the party's headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, on the morning of the 2nd and said, 'Chairman Rogers expressed his strong displeasure, stating, 'I have never supported him. I know nothing about this. It's a complete fraud.'
He added, 'The entire nation has been subjected to international humiliation, and Korea's credibility has fallen in the international community,' targeting the candidate Lee by criticizing him as an 'international fraud presidential candidate' and a 'voice phishing presidential candidate.'
Earlier, on the 29th of last month, Lee Jae-gang, co-head of the Democratic Party's international cooperation team, read a statement of support for the candidate Lee from Chairman Rogers in the National Assembly. Chairman Rogers is a globally renowned investor and serves as the chairman of Rogers Holdings.
However, on the same day, a media outlet reported that Chairman Rogers knew nothing about the statement, calling it 'a complete fraud.'
The Democratic Party has yet to issue an official stance from the party level. The briefing by Chief Spokesperson Cho Seung-rae, which was held every morning, was also canceled on this day due to scheduling reasons. Some interpret this as avoiding questions related to the 'Jim Rogers support statement.'
However, Kim Jin-hyang, chair of the Peace Economic Conference, which organized the press conference for Chairman Rogers's support statement, explained, 'There was a misunderstanding regarding the wording during the exchange of the support document between Professor Song Kyung-ho in the UK and me.' Nevertheless, he emphasized, 'Jim Rogers's support for Lee Jae-myung is a fact.'
On the other hand, the Democratic Party strongly criticized that Kim Moon-soo, the presidential candidate for the People Power Party, is related to the comment manipulation allegations of the far-right organization 'Libox School.'
Park Chan-dae, floor leader, pointed out in a meeting of the central election committee held at the party headquarters that morning, 'Evidence is increasingly emerging that Candidate Kim is connected to Libox School.'
Park further noted, 'In a report video posted on YouTube by Libox School in 2020, Candidate Kim appears, and the representative of Libox School has shown a close relationship with Candidate Kim since 2018.' He questioned, 'Does Candidate Kim really claim to not know about Libox School?'
He added, 'If true, this is a serious crime that amounts to a major national disgrace, comparable to the National Intelligence Service’s comment manipulation incident during the Lee Myung-bak administration, or the national textbook crisis during the Park Geun-hye administration,' urging, 'Videos from Libox School are already being deleted. Evidence must not be destroyed any further. We call for a swift and thorough investigation by the police.'
Earlier, a media outlet reported that the right-leaning Libox School, which promotes support for former Presidents Lee Seung-man and Park Chung-hee, operates a commentary team known as 'Jusongun' (the army of fingers saving the nation with comments). In particular, it was revealed that Libox School established a business agreement with Seoul National University of Education and provided the 'Rise School' program to 10 schools in Seoul.
Candidate Lee stated in a meeting with reporters after a campaign rally in Gyeongsangbuk-do the previous day, 'Looking at the essence, activities, and relationships with the People Power Party figures of Libox School, it makes no sense to say that the People Power Party is unrelated.'
The Democratic Party's rapid response team also pointed out that 'Candidate Kim appears in the Libox School videos.' They stated at a press conference the previous day, 'In the activity report video posted on YouTube by Libox School in 2020, Candidate Kim is seen wearing a Christian Liberty Unification Party jumper.'
They further claimed, 'During the 21st general election, two researchers from Libox School ran for election as candidates for the Christian Liberty Unification Party, co-founded by Candidate Kim and Pastor Jeon Kwang-hoon, and Candidate Kim even held a press conference with the two researchers at that time.'
In response, Candidate Kim stated, 'I know nothing about this. Such claims should not be made without evidence,' drawing a line.