| Members of right-wing organizations hold a giant Korean flag and call on President Moon Jae-in to resign during a rally in central Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap |
By Kim Hyun-bin
Ultra-right figures seem to be going too far in their bashing of President Moon Jae-in, with some even urging followers to kill him.
On Thursday, when Korea marked its 74th National Liberation Day, they also staged a rally in central Seoul, calling for Moon to be impeached. Thousands of conservatives gathered there.
Jun Kwang-hoon, head of the Christian Council of Korea who is a frequent critic of Moon, again talked about the President in hateful terms.
Responding to Moon's Liberation Day speech delivered earlier in the day, he said, "What the hell is a peace economy based on inter-Korean economic cooperation?"
"Shi… and gae… but I will not say what follows is."
Although Jun did not say the full words, it is clear he was using Korean curse words.
Jun, also a pastor, emphasized it was God's calling to force Moon to resign.
"Let's kill Moon Jae-in. Yes let's kill him. With what? With 10 million signatures," he said. "God's holy spirit is covering Gwanghwamun. This is the time to act with 10 million signatures. Moon Jae-in will have no choice but to resign."
Joo Ok-soon, leader of a conservative civic group known as "platoon of moms," was also in on the action.
Currently under fire for a series of pro-Japanese comments amid tensions between Korea and Japan, she wielded a placard reading "Kill Moon to save Korea." She also livestreamed the rally on YouTube.
Korea and Japan are at diplomatic odds due to Japan's tightened export controls in retaliation for the Korean Supreme Court's rulings last year ordering Japanese companies to compensate surviving South Korean victims of wartime forced labor. Amid growing anti-Japan sentiment, Joo has apologized to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for Korea worsening bilateral tensions.
Joo also claimed that Japan's colonial rule of Korea was behind Korea's strong economy because of implementing Japan's advanced technology. She also emphasized that the tensions between the countries would only harm Korea.
Some conservative politicians also took part in the rally.
"Today, National Liberation Day, will become the judgment day for Kim Jong-un's avatar. Today, we will get rid of the communists and root them out of our country," said Rep. Hong Moon-jong of the Our Republic Party.
Former Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Moon-soo said President Moon was a communist and called on his supporters to drag him out of office.
"Moon Jae-in has come out saying I am a communist, I am a communist. We need to force him out of office," Kim said. "You see the red Cheong Wa Dae? We need to force out the commies."