"Kim Moon-soo was only used… I was manipulated"
Former Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo, who declared his retirement from politics and moved to the United States, directed sharp criticisms at former President Yoon Suk-yeol.
On the 12th, former Mayor Hong revealed through his Facebook that "after 30 years in politics, I have been fooled twice by this guy," adding, "I am so ashamed that I cannot even show my face."
He also mentioned, "Kim Moon-soo was used against me." This can be interpreted as a reference to his defeats against former President Yoon in the 20th presidential primary and again in the 21st presidential primary, suggesting that he was set up for failure due to Yoon's behind-the-scenes involvement.
Earlier, on the 7th, former Mayor Hong claimed via social media, "I need to reveal the primary process I went through before leaving," alleging that "Yongsan and the party leadership believed Kim Moon-soo was easy to take down and orchestrated a plot to eliminate Hong Joon-pyo, who was a hindrance to Han Duck-soo."
"Kim Moon-soo was only a pawn in their scheme"
Former Mayor Hong claimed that former President Yoon and former Emergency Response Committee Chairman Kwon Young-se propped up the weak candidate Kim Moon-soo to promote former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo as the next presidential candidate. He stated, "Kim Moon-soo took advantage of their sinister scheme," asserting that he was systematically removed from the process.
Immediately following the announcement of the primary results, former Mayor Hong declared his retirement from politics and has since been severing ties with former President Yoon. With Yoon's political standing shaken due to controversies surrounding emergency martial law and conflicts with former representative Han Dong-hoon, Hong's remarks are being interpreted as an effective 'declaration of separation.'
"Lee Jae-myung, try managing the country… Yoon will pay a severe price"
At the end of his post, former Mayor Hong fired a direct shot at former President Yoon. He wrote, "Yes, let Lee Jae-myung try managing the country. You will face ten times harsher consequences than what you did to Lee."
This appears to serve as a warning, referencing Yoon's past investigations against then-Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung, suggesting that Yoon himself could soon become the target of investigations.
Even when former President Yoon was preparing emergency martial law and experiencing conflicts with former representative Han Dong-hoon, former Mayor Hong had supported him to some extent. However, following recent primary developments, the intensity of his criticisms directed at Yoon has been sharply increasing.
Image source: Former Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo / News1, a photo posted by Hong Joon-pyo from his residence in Hawaii, USA / Facebook 'Hong Joon-pyo'
