United Future Party: "Democratic Party Must Stop Posthumous Political Defamation... Exhumation Is Inhumane"

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] The United Future Party criticized the Democratic Party of Korea, which is pushing for a 'tomb excavation law' targeting pro-Japanese figures, saying, "Stop the politics of posthumous humiliation."

On the 14th, Bae Jun-young, spokesperson for the United Future Party, stated in a commentary, "The Democratic Party is unable to break free from divisiveness and legalism," criticizing them accordingly.

He pointed out, "At the public hearing, they even placed the tombstone of the late General Baek Seon-yeop, who was buried in Daejeon National Cemetery less than a month ago, and shamelessly incited by saying things like 'How can a war hero or patriotic martyr sit in the afterlife when there is an enemy buried in the national cemetery?'" calling it "anachronistic politics of posthumous humiliation (剖棺斬屍)."

Spokesperson Bae criticized, "So far, the ruling party has highlighted only the fact that General Baek served in the Manchurian Special Unit of the Manchukuo Army during the Japanese colonial period, showing a narrow perspective rather than his achievements," adding, "Everyone has merits and demerits. Even if there are faults, the politics of revenge that digs up graves and insults is inhumane."

United Future Party lawmaker Kim Ki-hyun also wrote on Facebook that day, "It is now pitiful, even pathetic, to see ruling party lawmakers persistently clinging to past issues far removed from the daily lives of the people," and questioned, "Did they not learn the lesson from history where, even in the Joseon Dynasty, pointless revisiting of the past led to political strife (士禍) and eventual downfall?"

Lawmaker Kim said, "The ruling party, having been overturned in approval ratings by the opposition, should not be talking about tomb excavation of political opponents on the occasion of the 75th Liberation Day instead of delivering a message of national unity," adding, "If every time the government changes, they feel satisfied only by overturning history and digging up figures buried in the National Cemetery, this is 'petty politics' trapped in factionalism."