Mrs. Yoon Cheong-ja, 79, the mother of the late Sergeant Min Pyong-ki, one of the “Cheonan 46 heroes,” was left speechless after hearing the “Cheonan self-destruction” remark by the former head of the main opposition party’s innovation committee. “I can’t console him, but it hurts me to be driven in such a way,” she told JoongAng Ilbo on Friday. “I don’t understand why he still criticizes the children who died defending the country,” she said, adding, “I feel angry, resentful and resentful.” She was unable to continue speaking.
A Feb. 10 Facebook post by Lee Ik-kyung, chairwoman of the Righteous Hundred Years Foundation. “The US hegemonic powers that destroyed the inter-Korean relations by fabricating the incident of the self-destructed Cheonan,” it reads. Facebook capture of Chairman Emeritus Lee
On the same day, the Democratic Party appointed Lee Hae-kyung, chairman emeritus of the Other Hundred Years, to head an innovation organization aimed at revitalizing the party. “The U.S. hegemonic powers that destroyed inter-Korean relations by fabricating the self-destructed Cheonan incident are this time exaggerating China’s meteorological flight instrument as a huge national threat, as if it were an alien invasion, and the desperate South Korean media are busy dictating it,” Lee wrote on his Facebook page on Feb. 10. He characterized the North Korean attack on the Cheonan as a “self-destructive incident orchestrated by the US hegemonic power.
Min’s brother, Min Kwang-ki, 53, said, “How does it make sense to appoint someone who says these things to people who sacrificed their lives and property in defense of their country,” adding, “This is not politics, this is transfer.” “It’s hard to feel sincere about Lee Jae-myung’s words that he trusts the government’s position,” Min said, “and I doubt he’s looking out for the people of any country.” Here is a one-on-one interview with Mr. Min.
“The Democratic Party of Korea has decided to recruit the honorary chairman of the Other Hundred Years Foundation, Lee Ie-kyung, to head the party’s innovation organization,” Lee Jae-myung, chairman of the Democratic Party of Korea, said at a meeting of the party’s Supreme Committee held at the National Assembly headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, on Friday morning. Pictured is Lee Iae-kyung, chairman emeritus of the Democratic Party of Korea’s innovation organization. Democratic Party
Q: In response to the controversy today (May 5), Mr. Lee ultimately stated that he “trusts the government’s announcement.”
A: “I remember former President Moon saying, ‘The government announcement and the position are the same.’ I want to ask which government is the government of which country? Is it the government’s position? The South Korean government, please tell me with certainty that the South Korean government has determined that the Cheonan was bombed by North Korea안전놀이터.”
On March 27, 2021, former President Moon Jae-in responded to Ms. Yoon’s question, “Isn’t it the government’s position that the Cheonan was bombed by North Korea?” at a ceremony to commemorate the “Day of Defense of the West Sea” held at the Cheonan National Cemetery in Daejeon, South Korea. “I think it’s in a similar vein that Lee referred to the attack on the Cheonan as the ‘Cheonan incident’ today,” Min said, adding, “By calling it an ‘incident,’ it’s seen as a generalization.”
South Korean President Moon Jae-in receives a question from Yoon Cheong-ja, the mother of the late Sergeant Min Pyong-ki, during a wreath-laying ceremony at the National Cenotaph in Daejeon, South Korea, on March 27, 2020. “Please tell me if this (the Cheonan bombing) was the work of North Korea or who did it,” Yoon asked Moon. Yonhap News Agency
Q: Isn’t it a good thing that Mr. Lee announced his resignation amid the controversy?
A: “It’s not just a matter of resigning or not. It’s not just a question of whether or not to resign. It seems that the public opinion is saying, ‘Let’s take the high road. The Democratic Party should not just resign, but clearly state that they will not make claims like ‘self-destruction’ in the future.”
Q: Why does this controversy seem to keep recurring?
A: “I wonder if the Democratic Party is making the announcement today because there are such people (like the chairman emeritus) all over society and they are supported by them. It’s not the right politics.”
Q: What do you want to say to the political establishment?
A: “How can politicians who are supposed to protect Korea not protect the honor of those who sacrificed themselves to protect Korea?”
While announcing his resignation, Lee said, “I am very sorry that the judgment and opinions of Mr. Sin have become the subject of a witch-hunt-style politics,” and added, “It is my personal opinion that this incident encapsulates the current situation of Korean society.” It is understood that he maintained his original position on the attack on the Cheonan based on his personal opinion.
Yoon Cheong-ja, the mother of the late Sergeant Min Pyeong-gi, and her grandson, Kyung Jun-gun, pay their respects at the Cheonan Ship Mausoleum after attending the “2nd West Sea Defense Day Commemoration Ceremony” held at the National War Memorial in Cheonan, South Korea, on the morning of March 24, 2017. By Kim Sung-tae
Kwon Chil-seung, a senior spokesman for the Democratic Party of Korea, also met with reporters on the same day and said, “The captain shouldn’t have gotten off the ship,” adding, “I don’t understand what kind of stranger he was talking about. It’s ridiculous that he killed all his subordinates.” In response to the appointment of the honorary chairman, former Cheonan captain Choi Won-il said, “Thank you for the Memorial Day gift. Please clarify your position by today and contact me,” and “If you don’t contact me with any measures such as a firing squad, we will visit the Cheonan bereaved families and surviving soldiers after the Memorial Day ceremony tomorrow.” He was offended by Lee’s remarks.
“Even now, we can see how many people who follow and sympathize with conspiracy theories are inside and outside the National Assembly,” Min said.
Kwon Yong-soo, a former navy professor at the National Defense University, said, “The attack on the Cheonan by North Korea was a matter for which a joint civilian, government, and military committee was formed, issued a white paper, and completed an audit,” adding, “Scientists made every effort to prove their objectivity. It falls into the realm of science, where there is no room for debate.” This means that it doesn’t make sense to approach a scientifically verified issue from a freedom of thought perspective.