Cha Myong-jin explained

Cha Myong-jin
Native Name Lang:ko
Birth Date:14 August 1959
Birth Place:Seoul, South Korea
Citizenship:South Korean
Office:Member of the National Assembly
Constituency:Bucheon Sosa
Term Start:27 July 2006
Term End:29 May 2012
Predecessor:Kim Moon-soo
Successor:Kim Sang-hee
Party:Independent
Alma Mater:Seoul National University
Occupation:Activist, politician
Spouse:Seo Myong-hui

Cha Myong-jin (Korean: 차명진, born 14 August 1959) is a South Korean activist[1] [2] and politician. He served as a member of National Assembly from 2006 to 2012[3] at Sosa District of Bucheon, and also used to be the deputy parliamentary leader and spokesperson of Grand National Party, the predecessor of Liberty Korea Party.

Cha is a controversial figure accused of various hate speeches,[4] [5] [6] as an example when he criticized the families of the victims of MV Sewol tragedy using harsh words.[4] [7] [8] [9]

Early life

Cha was born in Seoul in 1959[3] and attended for Yongmoon High School[3] nearby Korea University.[10] He earned a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science and Diplomacy and a Master's Degree in Political Science from Seoul National University.[3] His father was a refugee from North Korea.[1]

He was detained by the Agency for National Security Planning during the early 1980s and conscripted to Gangwon.[1] [11] After being discharged, he joined a labour movement[1] where he met Kim Moon-soo, the leader of the labour movement who later became the Governor of Gyeonggi as well as whom he built a close relationship with him.[1] [2] He then became a member of Seoul Labour Movement Union following Kim, and subsequently led its Central Committee following the detention of Kim.[1] During this time, he met Seo Myong-hui, also graduated from Seoul National University,[1] and married in 1988.[12]

Political career

Cha started his political career from the left-wing Popular Party[1] in 1989 as the party's chief in Guro 1st constituency. The party participated in legislative election in 1992 where it gained no seats[1] and therefore was deregistered under the then electoral law abolished in 2014. According to JoongAng Ilbo, his ideology was shifted to right,[2] from Marxism to social democracy, then capitalism during this time.[1] Same went for Kim and both joined the right-leaning Democratic Liberal Party in 1994.[1] Cha subsequently became an aide to Kim following the Kim's election in 1996.[1] [3] [11] He also assisted Lee Hoi-chang, the former presidential candidate and the Chairman of the now-defunct Grand National Party (GNP), as well as Sohn Hak-kyu, the ex-Governor of Gyeonggi and the predecessor of Kim.

Cha ran as the MP candidate for Bucheon Sosa following the resignation of Kim running for Gyeonggi governorship.[1] [11] He defeated Kim Man-soo of the ruling Uri Party with a high margin.[13] He then became the deputy parliamentary leader of his party.[14] He served as the GNP spokesman after his victory in 2008 election.[15]

He became well known for 2 issues in 2010, one for known as "Emperor's meal"[16] [15] and the other was when he brought an elaphe schrenckii into the National Assembly building.[17]

Cha lost to Kim Sang-hui in 2012.[18] [11] He ran for the same constituency against him in 2016, but also defeated.[19] [11] He opposes LGBT rights.[20] [21]

On 1 July 2019, Cha declared to withdraw his endorsement towards Hwang Kyo-ahn, the-then President of the LKP, for "praising" the Trump-Kim-Moon DMZ meeting.[22]

On 20 August 2020, it was announced that Cha tested positive for COVID-19 after having attended an anti-government rally on 15 August.[23]

Controversies

On 11 October 2011, Cha provoked a controversy after calling Park Won-soon, the oppositions' sole candidate for the Mayor of Seoul, as "an extreme socialist supporting pro-North Korean forces".[24] [15] A Democratic MP named Moon Hak-jin mentioned that "from his harassment, perhaps he fears Park".[24] Another MP named Yoo Sun-ho criticised his statement as "it is such as using viruses to kill vaccines".[24]

On 16 April 2019, Cha faced a huge protests following his defamatory remarks against the bereaved family of MV Sewol tragedy.[4] [7] [8] The previous day, he posted on Facebook that "they use their children's death till f***ed up".[4] [7] [8] He also stated that "they're keep passing the buck to Park Geun-hye and Hwang Kyo-ahn but both of them are NOT related to the incident... maybe because they were brainwashed by left-wing bastards".[4] [7] [8] He later deleted his post, deactivated his Facebook account, and apologised about it,[9] but then was reported that he was not regretting about his mistake.[25] His remarks was widely condemned by the other parties, including the ruling Democratic,[26] Bareunmirae,[27] PDP,[28] etc. On 22 April, MBN banned him from performing on any of their programmes,[29] and the bereaved of the tragedy filed a lawsuit against him.[30] On 4 June, he reactivated his Facebook account and updated a post; several medias considered that he had no intention to apologise for his remarks.[31]

Moon Jae-in the "Commie Bastard"

On 6 June 2019, 2 days after he reactivated his Facebook, Cha again provoked another controversies for his Facebook post. In the post, he did not just call for the impeachment of the President Moon Jae-in but also urged the other MPs to call Moon as "commie bastard" for "praising" Kim Won-bong.[5] [6] The ruling Democratic Party asked the LKP for expelling him from the party.[32] [6] Bareunmirae, who also criticised Moon's remark, blamed Cha as "totally abnormal".[32] In contrast with it, LKP President Hwang Kyo-ahn replied that the true "hate speech" is when calling a person's remark as "hate speech".[33] Cha repeated his remarks on 17, 23 and 29 June,[34] [35] [36] with additional words "dunce", and asked Moon to go to North Korea.[37]

Anti-Japanese movement

On 28 July 2019, Cha criticised anti-Japanese movement as the "shallow idea of Moon".[38] [39] He added that Moon is a "nerd" who doesn't deserve to be a leader.[38] [39] [11] Park Jin-sung, a poet, criticised him by writing a poem.[40]

Sexual slur incidence

On 8 April 2020, Cha again provoked a controversy when he mentioned that some of bereaved families were involved in "threesome party" at an election debate 2 days ago.[41] [42] Some sources reported that the United Future Party (UFP) was considering to sack him from the party.[41] [42] The party president Hwang Kyo-ahn has apologised for the incident.[42]

References

  1. News: 15 March 2009. [김진 시시각각] 잘못 부러진 차명진의 팔]. 17 August 2019.
  2. News: 13 September 2018. 차명진 "내가 극우라고? 인민독재에 김정은 믿는 당신들이 극좌다". 17 August 2019.
  3. News: 12 July 2011. [김진 시시각각] 잘못 부러진 차명진의 팔]. 17 August 2019.
  4. News: 4 June 2019. 또 ‘막말 흉기’ 휘두른 차명진 "세월호는 좌파의 예리한 무기". 17 August 2019.
  5. News: 7 June 2019. 세월호 막말 차명진, 이번에는 ‘문재인은 빨갱이’ 표현 파문. 17 August 2019.
  6. News: 7 June 2019. 차명진 "문재인은 빨갱이" 또 막말…與 "당에서 영구히 축출". 17 August 2019.
  7. News: 16 April 2019. 차명진 이어 정진석까지 세월호 막말…"이제 징글징글해". 17 August 2019.
  8. News: 16 April 2019. 차명진, 세월호 유가족들 향해 막말 "징하게 해쳐 먹는다". 17 August 2019.
  9. News: 16 April 2019. 차명진, 세월호 유가족들에 사과…페이스북·방송활동 중단 선언. 17 August 2019.
  10. News: 8 January 2019. 빛나는 졸업식 신풍속도. 17 August 2019.
  11. News: 29 July 2019. 차명진 "日 불매운동은 퇴행적"..'솜방망이 징계'가 자초한 논란. 17 August 2019.
  12. News: 18 April 2019. 차명진은 외롭다. 17 August 2019.
  13. News: 26 July 2006. 한나라당 차명진 18,549표(48%) 얻어 국회의원 당선. 17 August 2019.
  14. News: November 2011. 저자와의 만남 _ ‘정치, 그림 속을 걷다’, 차명진 의원. 17 August 2019.
  15. News: 16 April 2019. 차명진, 세월호 구설수 나이 예순 한살..김문수-이회창-손학규 보좌...최저생계비 한달나기 캠페인후기 논란!. 17 August 2019.
  16. News: 27 July 2010. 차명진 의원 ‘황제의 식사’에 민주노총 ‘개드립’ 비난. 17 August 2019.
  17. News: 21 October 2010. 허걱! 국감장에 등장한 1000만원짜리 구렁이. 17 August 2019.
  18. News: 14 April 2012. '김문수 사단'과 '민주당 텃밭', 이렇게 무너졌다. 17 August 2019.
  19. News: 14 April 2016. [4.13 총선 여성 당선자] 더민주 김상희 3선 "20대 국회 정치는 제발 달라져야 한다"]. 17 August 2019.
  20. News: 11 April 2016. 차명진 vs 김상희 후보, 군대 내 동성애 관련 법안 공방전. 17 August 2019.
  21. News: 11 April 2016. 차명진 "김상희 군대 내 동성애 법률안 발의 사실" 주장. 17 August 2019.
  22. News: 1 July 2019. 차명진, 황교안에 "판문점 회동 큰 의미?…더 고초 겪고 공부해야". 17 August 2019.
  23. News: DP leadership contest suffers virus setback, with frontrunner Lee quarantined. The Korea Herald. 2020-08-20. 2020-08-23.
  24. News: 11 October 2011. 차명진 "박원순, 양아치 식으로 삥 뜯어". 17 August 2019.
  25. News: 16 April 2019. 차명진, 사과글 게재 1시간 전엔 "세월호 막말 후회 안한다". 17 August 2019.
  26. News: 16 April 2019. "강력범죄 못지않은… 차명진, 당신이 하는 짓" 표창원 맹공. 17 August 2019.
  27. News: 16 April 2019. 바른미래당, '세월호 막말' 차명진 비판…"인간이길 포기". 17 August 2019.
  28. News: 16 April 2019. 평화당 "'세월호 참사 막말' 차명진, 전형적 소시오패스". 17 August 2019.
  29. News: 22 April 2019. MBN, 세월호 막말 차명진에 ‘영구 출연정지’. 17 August 2019.
  30. News: 22 April 2019. "망언과 저질 이젠 안 참아"... 세월호 유족들, 차명진 고소. 17 August 2019.
  31. News: 4 June 2019. 차명진 "세월호 절대권력 군림, 할 말 하겠다" 막말 재개. 17 August 2019.
  32. News: 7 June 2019. 여야, 차명진 '文 빨갱이' 발언 맹비난…"한국당, 엄벌해야". 17 August 2019.
  33. News: 7 June 2019. 황교안 "차명진 또 막말? 막말이라는 말부터 조심해야". 17 August 2019.
  34. News: 24 June 2019. 차명진 "文대통령, 김정은 대변인 노릇 넘어 빨갱이 언행". 17 August 2019.
  35. News: 24 June 2019. 차명진, 또 막말 "문재인, 김정은 대변인 넘어 빨갱이 언행". 17 August 2019.
  36. News: 30 June 2019. "父가 빨갱이 믿지 말랬는데"…차명진, 문재인 대통령에 막말 논란[전문]]. 17 August 2019.
  37. News: 17 June 2019. 차명진 또 막말…文 향해 "지진아ㆍ빨갱이…北으로 가든지". 17 August 2019.
  38. News: 29 July 2019. 차명진 "日 불매운동은 퇴행적 행동" 발언…막말로 징하게 해쳐먹었지 않나. 17 August 2019.
  39. News: 28 July 2019. 차명진 또 거친 발언…"일본 불매운동 퇴행적, 저급한 반일 종족주의". 17 August 2019.
  40. News: 29 July 2019. '다시, 차명진에게' 박진성 시인, 일본 불매운동 비하 발언 차명진 디스. 17 August 2019.
  41. News: 8 April 2020. 차명진 '세월호 망언' 또 터졌다... 통합당 "제명". 8 April 2020.
  42. News: 8 April 2020. '세월호 막말' 차명진 제명···김종인 칼 빼고 황교안 고개 숙였다. 8 April 2020.

External links