Different responses to Pres. Park’s message on `Sung Wan-jong list`

The New Politics Alliance for Democracy lashed out against the message that President Park Geun-hye made for “Sung Wan-jong list” on Tuesday. While the ruling Saenuri Party made an official evaluation by saying that “It was appropriate”, some said “it was insufficient.”

On the same day, Moon Jae-in, the chairman of the New Politics Alliance for Democracy held an urgent press conference, setting the counter fire to the president. “President Park should make a clear and sincere apology, not a vague expression for regret,” he said. “This is a massive corruption scandal, which is related to the president herself and yet, she hasn’t mentioned anything that guarantees a fair investigation for the case.”

As for the president’s remark, “Two consecutive amnesties given to Sung would hardly be accepted by the public,” Moon refuted by saying, “President Park appears to try to shroud the essence of the problem and inciting a political dispute, which is extremely regrettable.” He also said, “This case has nothing to do with deciding the appropriateness of amnesty of a stepped-down president that has been granted for a president of a next administration.”

"The Park Geun-hye administration has always tried to better the situation by making a counterattack whenever it makes mistakes that people criticize for,” he said. “People cast their votes for her because they believed she is a trustworthy statesman but now they think she is a liar.”

“She passed the blame to others,” NPAD floor leader Woo Yoon-keun said, while his fellow lawmaker Joo Seung-yong sarcastically said that some believe that the news from the president sick in bed is a novel trying to dodging public criticism, likening it to an attempt to get away with military service.

On the other hand, Saenuri Party Chairman Kim Moo-sung said, “It was appropriate that the president expressed her regret for causing anxiety to people. It was also proper that she showed her willingness to root out corruption and illegality and to push through political reforms.” As for Moon’s comment of “the president herself is the main body of the scandal,” Kim showed his displeasure, saying, “It seems that Moon is somehow out of his mind because of the fear to lose 4-0 in an upcoming by-election.”

Saenuri floor leader Yoo Seong-min commented that “What President Park said makes sense” but responded “I have no more things to say” when asked whether he was satisfied both with what she said and how she said it. Some key sources from the ruling party analyzed that up for the by-election, President Park gave the opposition party reasons to attack by mentioning the amnesty issues.

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