Hong Joon-pyo mocks top rivals on 'SNL' ahead of June presidential election
Conservative firebrand calls frontrunner Lee Jae-myung a 'thug' and Han Dong-hoon a 'narcissist'
South Korean presidential contender Hong Joon-pyo, a senior figure in the conservative People Power Party, has drawn fresh attention with a sharp-tongued, satirical appearance on "SNL Korea," taking direct aim at top rivals Lee Jae-myung and Han Dong-hoon ahead of the country's critical June 3 election.
In Saturday's episode of the comedy sketch show in its seventh season, via streaming platform Coupang Play, the former Daegu mayor appears dressed as a convenience store job applicant.
The segment gave Hong a stage to fire off barbed comments about leading candidates in a format that blended political parody with pointed critique.
When asked about former Democratic Party of Korea leader Lee Jae-myung, Hong didn't hold back. 'He's a 'yangachi,'' he said, using a Korean slang term that roughly translates to 'thug' or 'delinquent,' often used to describe someone seen as unscrupulous or morally corrupt.
Hong also mocked Lee's reaction to a resurfaced video clip from September 2024, in which Hong had said, 'A party that gets impeached must give up on the next presidential election.' The clip was played during a Democratic Party leadership meeting on April 7, where Lee was seen laughing.
Hong, clarifying the intent of his comment, said, 'That was a warning to Yoon (Suk Yeol) and Han (Dong-hoon) not to fight and get impeached. If Lee thought I meant that literally, then he just doesn't get it. That's why I said he's not very smart.'
Hong did not spare those in his own conservative camp either. He criticized former Labor Minister Kim Moon-soo, calling him a once 'pure' figure who has 'grown murkier,' and labeled former Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon as a 'narcissist.'
On economic policy, Hong also weighed in on South Korea's current minimum wage — at 10,030 won ($7) an hour -- 'It's too high,' he said. 'Small business owners can't keep up unless the whole family pitches in.'
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