Park Ji-won urges Yoo Si-min: 'Stop criticizing and come back to fight Jang-Han-Oh'

Rep. Park Ji-won of the Democratic Party of Korea has called on writer Yoo Si-min to "come back and fight against Jang-Han-Oh" (Jang Dong-hyuk, Han Dong-hoon, and Oh Se-hoon). On Facebook on Thursday, Park expressed dismay at Yoo's criticism of President Lee Jae-myung, asking, "Are you repeating, like a broken record, the curses you once poured on former President Kim Dae-jung against President Lee as well?"

Park described 'Jang-Han-Oh' as a term combining the names of People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyuk, former party chief Han Dong-hoon, and Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, and labeled them the "insurrection forces." "I can hardly believe that with your intellect and eloquence you have not said a single word against the insurrection forces," Park said, while stressing that "Yoo is still on our side" and that they must fight together and win. In his post, Park added, "We firmly believe we share the same goal," and urged once again, "Let's go together."

On the 28th, Yoo appeared on the YouTube channel 'Park Si-young TV' and said, "The Yun Seok-yeol beetle dismantled his own house, and this government and President Lee are doing exactly the same." He also noted that when a president's approval rating falls, "in extreme cases, the president fails to complete his term, as with Park Geun-hye or Yoon Seok-yeol."

In July, when Yoo said the president was "on the path to inevitable failure" in governing the country, Park urged him, "Five years of tormenting former President Kim Dae-jung was enough. Please help President Lee." In August, when Yoo said, "For a year, the president has shown himself to be an arrogant man of power," Park criticized him, saying, "If you intend to help the insurrection forces take power, come out and go down that path," while still urging, "Come back and let's go together."

As tensions surface openly within the progressive camp between voices critical of the president and the Democratic Party and the party establishment seeking to contain them, Yoo's follow-up response is drawing attention.