Han Byeong-do, the floor leader of the Democratic Party, criticized the People Power Party on October 8 for turning the National Assembly into a battleground with insults and various allegations. He specifically pointed out the behavior of the party's lawmakers during the National Assembly audit.
During a Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly, Han stated, "The remarks made by lawmakers from the People Power Party are becoming increasingly outrageous, with one member making derogatory comments about the May 18 incident and another, Joo Jin-woo, comparing a specific actress's appearance to that of a North Korean." He also condemned the party's spokesperson, Kim Tae-kyu, for mocking the death of former President Roh Moo-hyun.
Han added, "Park Chung-kwon, the chief spokesperson, has also made baseless allegations regarding the repatriation of North Korean defectors, continuing the offensive against Unification Minister Jeong Dong-young. These statements are hard to believe coming from a member of the National Assembly. It is truly disheartening and embarrassing to engage in legislative activities alongside them. The Democratic Party will strive to conduct a productive National Assembly audit that protects the lives and safety of the people against insults and conflicts."
He further criticized Lee Jin-sook, a People Power Party lawmaker who proposed amendments related to the May 18 incident, questioning, "Are you trying to erase history by distorting the May 18 movement as a riot?"
Han pointed out that Lee's proposed amendments would limit the scope of the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement to Gwangju and require the disclosure of names of those recognized as beneficiaries and their families. He described this as "a despicable political move with clear ulterior motives, undermining the history of our people who upheld democracy against the military regime of Chun Doo-hwan."
He urged key figures within the People Power Party, including Jang Dong-hyuk and Na Kyung-won, to clarify their official stance, demanding, "Withdraw the amendments immediately and apologize sincerely to the spirits of May and the bereaved families."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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