Two days after having resorted to fists over a vote-rigging scandal, the Unified Progressive Party [UPP] is hitting the headlines again. A member of the party set himself on fire, in protest of the recent online vote that aggravated the existing divide between the factions.
From Nate:
How far will it go?…the UPP on the verge of collapse
The worst case scenario has become a reality. A member of the Unified Progressive Party set himself on fire in protest over the central committee’s decision by the online vote. The situation is spiraling out of control.
Mr. Park (43), a member of the party’s Regional Committee of Suwon in Gyeonggi, poured gasoline on his body and set himself on fire in front of the party’s headquarters situated in Daebang-dong.
The police reported that Mr. Park said “The online voting has no validity” before the self-mutilation. He was transported to the hospital, but he is in a critical condition with an extensive 3 degree burns.
It has been only two days since the fisticuffs during the leadership meeting, yet the party is on the verge of losing a life of an ordinary party member, making the worst nightmare into reality.
There is a speculation that the party crossed the Rubicon with this incident, given the grudge between the biggest faction Dang Gwon Pa and the minority faction Bi Dang Gwon Pa [meaning non-Dang Gwon Pa] has been huge.
The minority faction, which constitutes the Emergency Response Committee headed by Rep. Kang Ki-kap, has lost its grip. The faction pushed the online voting despite opposition.
The committee is expected to face a lot of difficulties due to the self-mutilation incident and related responsibilities.
The biggest faction is not exempt from responsibility for not taking any action. If the faction tries to take hegemony by using the incident, the press would go wild.
There is a possibility that the unrest among the party members becomes persistent, if the both factions are to keep fighting over the validity of the online voting.
Meanwhile, the party seems to be uneasy that there might be other provocative incidents in the near future.
Liberals are shocked by the tragic news.
In disbelief, Koreans and supporters of the party have seen the appalling tragedy following the unprecedented fist fight.
“How an earth have we come to this point? I don’t know what to say,” One liberal person said, getting a bit emotional.
“The both factions are responsible for pushing an ordinary party member to the limit. I feel frustrated,” Another liberal said.
Comments from Nate:
이재원:
They took their seats on the National Assembly by corruption and propaganda. Are the seats worth fighting to death for? I don’t understand them.
정지우:
These bastards used to promise to punish this administration. It makes my skin crawl.
김동철:
This violent party[the Unified Progressive Party] must be disbanded.
정성용:
Do not use the word ‘progressive’! Progress means moving forward. And they are leftist demonstrators who hadn’t studied but only engaged in protests during 70’s and 80’s. They are only interested in lining their own pockets by using politics, or taking advantage of the mother nation. They shouldn’t be referred to as being ‘progressive’.
박경수:
This party looks like a pseudo-religion. It sickens me.
이옥주:
Well, this isn’t a surprise. This is a quintessential behavior of leftist commies, so-called ‘progressives’. They are meddling with various school events to take money, ostracizing people who demand to disclose the expenditure of school fees. They say ‘democracy’ every time they open their fucking mouth, while exercising non-democratic behaviors such as eolcharyeo [얼차려: a form of group punishment]. They must be the ones who joined the UPP. It’s so obvious. We have to use this incident to kick out those bastards.
박상진:
Hwang Jang-yop, the ex-13th highest ranking official of North Korea, once said. There are at least 500,000 permanent spies living in ROK.
한훈철:
A number of reasons are springing up to vote for the Saenuri Party~ Way to go Park Geun-hye!!
임진호:
The biggest problem is that liberals only resort to demonstration and protest. In democracy, when you vote for something, you ought to accept the result. Who would be fond of you if you always refuse the result and protest? Do you call THAT a democracy?
김재철:
I’d like to see all commies in ROK hunted down and shot: Ultimately, reunification on ROK terms.
이민호:
I wonder what Naggomsu, Kim Je-dong, Kim Mi-wha, and especially Kong Ji-young are doing^^. They don’t really use Twitter these days. Now we all know that liberals are not that different from conservatives.
최혁:
These bastards call themselves politicians? You North’s puppets go to DPRK. You may play with Kim Jong Un over there.
김민성:
What matters worse is that the bastards are members of the 19th National Assembly; they will be allowed to read classified files by June.
박형수:
Do not use the word ‘progressive’. You [the UPP] don’t deserve it.
주은현:
They will start working as members of the National Assembly on the 30th of May. What should we do? It’s only a few days left.
김기영:
ke they look like a cult. They are not mentally capable of behaving like a democratic party is supposed to do. Tsk tsk
… Democracy? How nice. Tsk tsk
오동욱:
Another patriot[Note: yeolsaa, meaning the people who sacrificed their lives for the cause of independence during the Japanese Occupation era] has come from east Gyeonggi.
이강국:
They are out of their mind. Those North Korean bastards should be burnt alive.
유진환:
You guys voted for them ke ke. Who knows if Rhyu Si-min is also a commie?
임현규:
It seems like the ruling party will win the presidential election effortlessly. The UPP is imploding itself.
