The Reform Party intensified its offensive against Yang Hyang-ja, the People Power Party's candidate for Gyeonggi Province governor, raising allegations of false academic credentials and misleading achievement claims.
Cheon Ha-ram, the Reform Party's floor leader, held an emergency press conference at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on Tuesday and demanded, "Candidate Yang Hyang-ja must confess to the crime of deceiving Gyeonggi residents and immediately step down."
Cheon pointed out that Yang had included false information in her election pamphlet to deceive voters. "On page 3 of her pamphlet, Candidate Yang lists herself as a 'PhD in AI Strategic Management.' Meanwhile, on page 2 of the same pamphlet, in the 'Candidate Information Disclosure' section that she submitted herself, it states only 'PhD in Business Administration,'" he said. "She is staging a comedy of inconsistency within a single pamphlet."
He continued, "The expression 'PhD in AI Strategic Management' is not a mere descriptive phrase. It has the potential to mislead voters into believing she obtained an official doctoral degree in AI Strategic Management or a separate specialized doctoral degree."
Cheon also criticized Yang, saying, "Candidate Yang has boasted through her pamphlet and the media that she introduced and passed the 'Semiconductor Special Act' in the National Assembly. This is a brazen lie that attempts to deceive the entire nation."
He explained, "The Semiconductor Special Act was a bill introduced by lawmakers including Koh Dong-jin, Lee Eon-ju, Song Seok-jun, and Park Soo-young. The name Yang Hyang-ja does not appear anywhere on the list of sponsors."
"This bill was introduced in June 2024 when the 22nd National Assembly opened, and it only passed the plenary session on January 29 this year," he said. "Candidate Yang is a 'former' lawmaker whose term ended in May 2024. Is Candidate Yang someone who transcends time and space?"
The bill Yang introduced during the 21st National Assembly was the "Partial Amendment to the Special Act on Strengthening and Protecting the Competitiveness of National Advanced Industries," but she promoted it as if it were the achievement of the "Special Act on Strengthening Competitiveness and Supporting the Semiconductor Industry (Semiconductor Special Act)," which was introduced and passed in the 22nd National Assembly.
Cheon warned, "In her greed for the position of Gyeonggi governor, she fabricated the academic credentials and career history necessary to portray herself as a semiconductor expert in order to complete the narrative running through her 'Money-Making Gyeonggi' election campaign. If she does not resign, we will file a complaint immediately."
Cho Eung-cheon, the Reform Party's candidate for Gyeonggi governor, emphasized, "The key issue is whether voters could be misled and whether this could affect the voting results. There is sufficient potential to mislead and sway voters, affecting the outcome, and even if she is elected, the election could be nullified."
Yang's campaign issued a statement in response to the Reform Party's allegations, countering that they were "nothing more than an old-style political attack that denies common sense in academia and historical facts."
Yang's side explained, "Candidate Yang is officially a 'PhD in Business Administration,' and it is also an obvious fact that her sub-specialization was AI Strategic Management. This is the same principle by which a doctorate from a graduate school of journalism and broadcasting is officially listed as a 'PhD in Literature.'"
The camp added, "The common name for the bill that Candidate Yang introduced in the 21st National Assembly is the 'K-Chips Act,' which became the cornerstone of Korea's semiconductor industry. Since 'chips' refers to semiconductors, calling it the 'Semiconductor Special Act' is entirely natural." It also noted, "We specified the year of introduction in front of the bill's name to clearly distinguish it from other bills introduced and passed afterward."
