Kim Jae-seop: Jung Won-oh assault was an unrelated drunken violence case, not tied to the Gwangju Uprising... Jung's side says it is a one-sided claim

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[Financial News] Allegations have been raised that the past assault conviction of Jung Won-oh, the Democratic Party of Korea candidate for Seoul Metropolitan City Mayor, was a drunken violence case unrelated to the Gwangju Uprising. Kim Jae-seop, a People Power Party lawmaker, claimed that Jung assaulted a citizen who tried to stop him after he allegedly forced a cafe owner to let him stay overnight with a female employee during a drinking session, then threatened the owner when the request was refused, and also assaulted responding police officers. Jung dismissed the claim, saying it was "just a one-sided assertion."
Kim held a press conference at the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea's communication center on the 13th and said that Jung's explanation, which attributed his assault record to a difference in perception over the Gwangju Uprising, had been shown to be false. Kim cited the 1995 minutes of the Yangcheon-gu Council. At the time, Jung was serving as a secretary to the Yangcheon District Office chief.
Jung was fined 3 million won for assaulting police officers who arrived at the scene after he argued with an aide to a lawmaker at a cafe in Sinjeong-dong, Yangcheon District, around 11 p.m. on Oct. 11, 1995. In the minutes cited by Kim, a Yangcheon-gu council member questioned then Yangcheon District Office chief Yang Jae-ho about Jung's assault case.
\r\nA district council member said at the time, "The chief of staff and a secretary, who should have been assisting the district mayor, drank alcohol worth 150,000 won at a cafe and asked the owner to let them stay overnight with a female employee. When the owner refused, the chief of staff and the secretary threatened him, saying things like, 'Will you run all the business from now on?' While they were arguing with the owner, a guest sitting at the next table, who was an aide to another lawmaker, tried to stop them. They then kicked him in the shoulder and used abusive language. Police officers who rushed over after receiving the report were also assaulted, and Secretary Jung even engaged in self-harm at the scene."
In response, Kim released the minutes and said, "Jung's assault had nothing to do with the Gwangju Uprising." He added, "After drinking, he forced the owner to let him stay overnight with a female employee and threatened the owner when the request was refused. He assaulted a citizen who tried to stop Jung Won-oh, assaulted the police officers who were dispatched, and even engaged in self-harm. It was nothing more than a filthy drunken violence case."
He also demanded an explanation, asking, "Has Jung been repeatedly lying to the public about his past assault conviction until now? Has he been deceiving the public by packaging his disgraceful assault record as the Gwangju Uprising?"
The Reform Party also continued its attack on Jung. Kim Jeong-cheol, the party's Seoul Metropolitan City Mayor candidate, and floor leader Cheon Ha-ram held a press conference and said, "Jung is now using the Gwangju Uprising as a shield for a drunken violence case." They criticized him, saying, "Packaging a drunken violence case in which he assaulted a citizen and a police officer as a Gwangju Uprising dispute is an insult to the spirit of the Gwangju Uprising. It is also turning the Gwangju Uprising into an alibi for violence once again." They added, "Anyone who invokes the spirit of the Gwangju Uprising to justify assault is unqualified to be a candidate for Seoul Metropolitan City Mayor," and urged him to "resign immediately."
Jung's side immediately pushed back, calling the allegations "one-sided claims." It said, "The court ruling in the case stated that the victim, Lee Mo, an aide to lawmaker Park Mo of the Democratic Liberal Party, sat together with him and talked about political matters. As their political views differed, their voices grew louder and a fight broke out." It added, "Media reports at the time also covered the fact that he assaulted the victim after arguing over the June 27 election and the punishment of people involved in the Gwangju Uprising."
It further said, "The media reports at the time were based on interviews with both sides and with investigative authorities, so they can be said to be consistent with the facts." It added, "Kim's claim is a one-sided argument that contains only the Democratic Liberal Party's position at the time."
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haeram@fnnews.com Lee Hae-ram Reporter