Rep. Han Jun-ho of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, who lost in the primary for the Gyeonggi Province gubernatorial race in the June 3 local elections, apologized after making remarks such as "unprepared candidate" and "I'm worried about Gyeonggi provincial administration" directed at Rep. Choo Mi-ae, who was confirmed as the final candidate.
According to political sources on the 8th, Han said during a live broadcast on his YouTube channel the previous night, "I'm concerned about how we will run the general election now that a candidate who is not yet fully prepared has become our party's candidate," adding, "From my position of having prepared to align achievements with the president, I have some concerns about what will happen to Gyeonggi provincial administration."
After controversy arose over the remarks targeting Choo, the video was deleted. Han apologized on his social media that day, saying, "It was a brief lament on my way home, venting alone out of disappointment," and "I immediately switched it to private in a moment of regret, but I am deeply sorry for causing concern with my imprudent conduct."
He continued, "I know better than anyone and trust Rep. Choo's outstanding capabilities and excellent learning ability," and "I sincerely apologize for hurting the candidate and our fellow party members."
He added, "I will engrave this apologetic heart and work two to three times harder going forward," and "I will pour all my strength into Rep. Choo's victory and Gyeonggi Province's success. Once again, I bow my head and offer my apologies."
Choo commented on the post, writing, "I happened to see this while browsing Facebook. Let's move forward together for victory in the local elections."