Writer Yu Si-min speaks at a book talk held at the Pyeongsan Bookstore booth of the Seoul International Book Fair at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on June 25. [Yonhap]
Writer Yu Si-min speaks at a book talk held at the Pyeongsan Bookstore booth of the Seoul International Book Fair at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on June 25. [Yonhap]

Yu In-tae, a senior figure in the ruling camp and former secretary-general of the National Assembly, said he has been troubled by the demeanor of two public figures lately — writer Yu Si-min from the progressive bloc and People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok.

Yu made the remarks Thursday on CBS Radio's "Park Sung-tae's News Show," saying of Jang: "When Jang Dong-hyeok speaks, his eyes — his pupils — look strange. Something is just not right."

Yu In-tae, former secretary-general of the National Assembly. [Herald DB]
Yu In-tae, former secretary-general of the National Assembly. [Herald DB]

Yu then turned to Yu Si-min, criticizing him for recent remarks — including calling President Lee Jae Myung "the head of the new Lee Jae Myung" and saying a fish market "reeks of rot" — and saying his eyes looked similarly off. "He wasn't like this before. When he appeared on the old variety show 'Alsshinzap,' he was a very gentle person. He should stick to that kind of thing — not this political commentary he claims not to do, which isn't even real commentary," Yu said.

Yu Si-min had announced in April 2020 on his YouTube channel "Yu Si-min's Allilleo" that he would suspend his political commentary activities.

Yu In-tae named the late former Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan, Yu Si-min and broadcaster Kim Eo-jun as three people who made major contributions to making Lee Jae Myung president. He said their contributions were significant, but noted that when around 100 Assembly members signed up for a group aimed at dropping criminal charges against the president, Yu Si-min had called it "a crazy thing to do." "Looking back now, that 'crazy thing' shows that President Lee Jae Myung's intentions and Yu Si-min's thinking are completely at odds," he said.

He added that he agreed it would be "quite wrong" if President Lee were trying to use his executive power to have the charges dropped.

Touching on speculation about a constitutional amendment to allow the president a second consecutive term, Yu said Yu Si-min appeared to be acting out of fear that the administration would fail badly without his warnings — but added: "The words are too harsh for mere concern. That is not the way to go."

On the apparent alliance between Yu Si-min and Democratic Party leadership candidate Jung Chung-rae, Yu said both men were among those who led the push to fully abolish the National Security Act in 2004 — part of the so-called "686 generation" (born in the 1960s, university class of the 1980s). "But the two were never close to begin with, and Jung Chung-rae has always been someone who attracts few followers — except for some unusual characters," he said.

He added: "They were never that close, but it feels like they have reconnected recently and found some common ground — perhaps on issues like prosecutorial reform."

Yu stressed the need to reform the imperial presidential power structure and shift to an electoral system that allows for multiparty politics. "It is the hardcore base that drives both parties, and if the hardcore base is wielding that kind of influence over both, what will become of this country?" he said. He added that under a multiparty system, the far-right "Yoon Again" faction and the rest should have long since split off to form separate parties and sought the public's judgment.


jshan@heraldcorp.com