Kim Jun-hwan, a member of the Democratic Party, apologized on August 19 after facing backlash for disrespectful comments directed at Park Chung-kwon, a defector from North Korea and member of the People Power Party.
During a meeting of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, Kim referred to Park, saying, "You are someone who used to shout 'Long live Kim Il-sung.' So be more careful with your words." Following this remark, Kim reportedly left the meeting without offering a separate apology.
In response, Park expressed disbelief during the afternoon session, stating, "I doubted my ears. Along with over 34,000 other defectors, I rejected the dictatorship of the Kim family and chose the free democratic Republic of Korea." He added, "To label someone like me as a person who used to shout 'Long live Kim Il-sung' denies the lives and efforts of all defectors."
Kim Dae-sik, the People Power Party's Foreign Affairs Committee secretary, also called for an official apology from Kim, emphasizing that the committee should not further stigmatize defectors.
As the controversy grew, Kim Jun-hwan stated, "I feel deeply sorry for causing unforgivable pain to my fellow lawmakers."
Kim Jun-hwan has a background working with the National Intelligence Service, while Park Chung-kwon was born in 1986 in Hamhung and entered South Korea in 2009.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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