Jeong Cheong-rae's Controversial Praise of Moon Jae-in at Chosun University Lecture and Suspected Shincheonji Connection

It has been pointed out that candidate Jeong Cheong-rae has not yet provided any explanation regarding the background and circumstances of his appearance on Honam Ilbo TV's lecture. The lecture was a small event attended by approximately 130 people. The host stated, "To this day, candidate Jeong Cheong-rae has not given any explanation whatsoever regarding the background and circumstances of accepting this Honam Ilbo lecture," demanding a clear explanation for accepting the lecture.

Suspicions have been raised that connections between Honam Ilbo and Shincheonji are continuously being detected. The host mentioned, "Honam Ilbo is continuously showing signs of being linked to Shincheonji," emphasizing that traces of Shincheonji are consistently found around Honam Ilbo. Furthermore, Jeong Cheong-rae's recent actions have also continuously revealed circumstances related to Shincheonji, drawing attention.

Shincheonji has been designated as the foremost and most dangerous organization attempting to destabilize President Lee Jae-myung and lead him to ruin. The host strongly criticized, "This is the leading organization and the most dangerous organization that will constantly shake President Lee Jae-myung and somehow bring him to ruin." Shincheonji is being pointed out as the core of anti-Lee Jae-myung forces and is suspected of being behind attempts to destabilize President Lee Jae-myung.

Candidate Jeong Cheong-rae claimed that the 800 trillion won investment in the Gwangju-Jeonnam semiconductor cluster was thanks to former President Moon Jae-in, and he solicited applause. Jeong Cheong-rae stated, "Do you know why 800 trillion won is being invested in the Gwangju-Jeonnam semiconductor cluster? It's thanks to President Moon Jae-in," emphasizing that the Moon Jae-in administration's solar and wind power policies contributed to the mega-projects in the Honam region.

Candidate Jeong Cheong-rae boasted about his personal closeness to President Lee Jae-myung, claiming he had the most conversations with him over the past 4-5 years. He said, "I am the one who has had the most conversations with President Lee Jae-myung over the past 4 or 5 years. I am proud to say that I know President Lee Jae-myung best." He further mentioned that he knows President Lee Jae-myung's personal preferences and every move, emphasizing that he is President Lee Jae-myung's closest confidant.

Questions have been raised about the direct connection between the Moon Jae-in administration's renewable energy policy and the Honam semiconductor mega-project, following Jeong Cheong-rae's remarks. The host pointed out, "The promotion of wind or solar power generation in Honam was not done with the mega-project in mind, was it?" criticizing that while the Moon Jae-in administration's energy policy can be evaluated, directly linking it to semiconductor investment is an unreasonable claim. Concerns were also raised that such remarks could be perceived as dismissive of Honam public sentiment and President Lee Jae-myung's approval ratings.

Analysis suggests that the president's announcement of three major mega-projects shifted the frame Jeong Cheong-rae had originally intended. The host explained, "Ultimately, he wanted to frame himself as Jeong Cheong-rae, who possesses a strong will for reform, complementing the president's lack of reformative qualities. But suddenly, with the announcement of these three major mega-projects, the frame shifted to 'who will help this president complete the three major mega-projects?'" Jeong Cheong-rae had previously tried to build an image of having a strong will for reform, focusing on individual votes and prosecutorial reform as key issues, but the president's announcement disrupted his strategy by shifting the frame to that of a mega-project completer.

It has been pointed out that Jeong Cheong-rae faced backlash during his attempt to win over Honam public sentiment by trying to divide Jeonbuk and Jeonnam, and failed to build consensus by attributing President Lee Jae-myung's decisions to former President Moon Jae-in. The host criticized, "Initially, he went to Jeonbuk and tried to divide Jeonnam and Jeonbuk, asking why only Jeonnam receives investment, causing Jeonbuk residents to feel alienated, only to face backlash. Then he claimed it was all thanks to Moon Jae-in, not Lee Jae-myung, laying the groundwork for Moon Jae-in, who wasn't even thinking about a semiconductor complex, to receive applause." Questions were also raised about whether statements like 'I am managing President Lee Jae-myung well, so don't worry and support him' could actually gain empathy from voters.

Analysis suggests that Jeong Cheong-rae's accidental answer of 'clearing up rebellion' when asked about the top national agenda item exposed a critical weakness, leading to a significant alienation of public sentiment in Honam. The host mentioned, "It was revealed that candidate Jeong Cheong-rae didn't know a crucial thing. When asked about the top national agenda item, he mistakenly answered 'clearing up rebellion'." The actual top national agenda item is the inclusion of the May 18 Gwangju Uprising spirit in the Constitution's preamble. Jeong Cheong-rae's failure to know this reportedly deeply shocked voters, especially in the Honam region, as the inclusion of the May 18 spirit is considered a matter of pride for Honam voters.

It was pointed out that the fact that the leader of the ruling party did not even know the top national agenda item for the past year shocked many party members, including those in Honam. The host criticized, "Ultimately, if he truly intends to lead the party to success for the Lee Jae-myung administration, he couldn't possibly not know the top national agenda item. Consequently, former leader Jeong Cheong-rae cannot escape the criticism that he pursued his own political agenda for the past year." This was emphasized as proof that Jeong Cheong-rae engaged in self-serving politics. Contrary to the initially expected vote gap of 5-10 percentage points in the Honam region, an unexpected gap of 25 percentage points actually occurred.