"You are a criminal"…The press conference for the presidential candidacy turns chaotic after evicting a reporter

Former Pastor Jeon Kwang-hoon of Sarang Jeil Church, who has had his eligibility to run for public office revoked due to a violation of the Public Official Election Act, turned the press conference announcing his candidacy for the presidential election into chaos by refusing questions from a specific media reporter and hurling insults.

During the press conference held at the Free Unification Party headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 24th, Pastor Jeon shouted, "I will only take questions from major media," "You are a criminal," "Get this reporter out," and "I am the main character here."

After singling out a specific reporter and refusing to take his questions, the conference venue became embroiled in intense protests and scuffling.

During the press conference, Pastor Jeon declared, "There is no hope in the two-party system of the People Power Party and the Democratic Party," and announced that he would run in the 6.4 early presidential election to rebuild conservatism. However, he has been barred from running for office until 2028 after a guilty verdict in the Supreme Court for violating the Public Official Election Act in 2019.

"You are a criminal"…Refusing questions based on the type of media outlet

The controversy erupted during the Q&A session. When Kwon Ji-yeon, a reporter from the online media outlet "New Investigation," gained the opportunity to ask a question, Pastor Jeon immediately refused, saying, "No, no. It's Kwon Ji-yeon, right?"

His refusal was based on the fact that she had previously reported him. He then shouted, "Ask questions from major media first. Is there no major media?" and ordered her to leave.

When Kwon pressed, "You said you would take all questions, so why am I the only one excluded?" Pastor Jeon raised his voice, declaring, "Don't talk nonsense. I won't take questions from Kwon Ji-yeon." When Kwon retorted, "How can that be?" Pastor Jeon unreservedly attacked her character, saying, "You are a criminal."

Kwon is an investigative reporter who has covered allegations regarding Pastor Jeon for several years, and New Investigation has continued public interest reporting as a citizen media outlet.

In response to the controversy over his eligibility, he simply repeated illogical claims of "invalidity and innocence"

Despite being barred from running for office due to violations of the Public Official Election Act, when questioned about his eligibility to run, Pastor Jeon continued to give evasive answers, stating, "There are many cases of acquittals," and "The texts were sent by an office worker, and I took responsibility with love." He then claimed, "The election law violations are invalid, and I have the qualification to run," but he did not provide any legal basis for his assertions.

In fact, Pastor Jeon was sentenced to six months in prison and two years of probation by the Supreme Court for allegedly soliciting support for a specific political party ahead of the 2019 general elections, and he is currently barred from running for office for ten years after his sentence was confirmed under the Public Official Election Act.

Additionally, when Andido, a reporter from News & Joy, gained the opportunity to ask a question, Pastor Jeon remarked, "You are not major media either. Maintain courtesy," once again blocking questions based on the media outlet.

In response, Lee Joon-hee, president of the Korean Internet Journalists Association, criticized the behavior of someone who claims to run for president while discriminating against the media, demanding an apology, but Pastor Jeon ultimately refused to accept it.

Meanwhile, during the conference, Pastor Jeon officially announced his candidacy by presenting 25 pledges including reforms of constitutional and political systems, electoral and judicial reforms, foreign and security policies, and unification policies. However, questions regarding his candidacy’s impact on real politics have been raised due to his use of foul language, the controversy over excluding the media, and the significant disqualification of being barred from running for office.

Image source: Jeon Kwang-hoon / News1, News1