Park Beom-gye, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, questioning at the Judiciary Committee plenary meeting held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on July 29. [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Yeon-ju] Amid controversy over Yoo Si-min, chairman of the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation, comparing North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un to an 'enlightened monarch' in relation to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries official shooting incident, Park Beom-gye, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, defended the remark as "typical of Yoo Si-min."
On the 28th, Park appeared on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' and said, "This is the first sincere apology in the history of inter-Korean relations. (Yoo Si-min's expression) is not an endorsement of the North Korean regime but an expression of relief thinking about peace on the Korean Peninsula," adding these remarks.
Earlier, on the 25th, Yoo mentioned Kim Jong-un's apology during a live-streamed debate on the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation's official YouTube channel, calling it "good news in that what we hoped for has progressed to some extent" and describing Kim as "like an enlightened monarch."
Subsequently, controversy arose over Yoo's choice of words, deemed inappropriate given that a citizen was shot.
Regarding this, Park said, "'I am deeply sorry for the great disappointment caused to our southern compatriots' (Kim Jong-un's apology) is clear and definite in the considerable history between the two Koreas," emphasizing, "And judging by the content, it is the first apology containing considerable sincerity."
He continued, "Perhaps there was some relief from the perspective of inter-Korean peace. I believe the expression came from that context," adding, "In that sense, it reflects the expectation that North Korea will change and that peace must never be broken in that direction."
On the same day, Kim Ki-hyun, a member of the People Power Party who appeared alongside Park, criticized Yoo's remarks, saying, "I thought, 'Is this person going to live under an enlightened monarch?' How can he make such comments in this situation without living there himself?"
He further criticized, "The life of a South Korean citizen was brutally sacrificed. Wasn't the body burned with fire and oil for 40 minutes? And dragged around for six hours?"
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