[Summary] "The Leader of the Gwanghwamun Rally is a Murderer," Shouted Noh Young-min... Later Expressed Regret Saying "It Was Excessive"

At the Blue House National Audit, "Over 600 Confirmed Cases and More Than 7 Deaths Reported from Gwanghwamun Rally"

No Young-min, Chief of Staff to the President, is deep in thought during the National Assembly's Steering Committee's audit on the Presidential Secretariat, National Security Office, and Presidential Security Service held on the 4th. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] Presidential Chief of Staff Noh Young-min expressed regret on the 4th during the Blue House audit at the National Assembly, stating that his remark describing the "August 15 Gwanghwamun rally organizers as murderers" was "an excessive expression."

Chief of Staff Noh said at the Blue House audit held by the Steering Committee at the National Assembly in the afternoon, "I never called the people murderers," but added, "I think it was an excessive expression."

He continued, "I was referring to the organizers of the rally," explaining, "More than 600 people were confirmed positive as a cluster from the August 15 rally, and I recall that about 6 to 7 people died. A ruling party member called them 'thieves,' so I called them murderers, which is even stronger than thieves."

During the audit, Park Dae-chul, a member of the People Power Party, showed a photo of police using buses to form barricades during the Gwanghwamun rally and said, "Seeing this reminds me of the Jaein Fortress," adding, "The police pushed with bus vehicles to trap rally participants in a COVID-19 hotspot. From the government's perspective, they probably don't want people to come out, but is it right to trap the already out citizens like this and increase the risk of infection?"

In response, Chief of Staff Noh raised his voice, saying, "Are you defending those who attended an illegal rally? Isn't it an illegal rally!" Amid mediation by Kim Tae-nyeon, a Democratic Party member and Steering Committee chairman, Noh insisted, "No, let me explain. More than 600 confirmed cases and over 7 deaths came from the Gwanghwamun rally. Are you defending that now?"

When some ruling party members chimed in, saying, "You're defending thieves," Chief of Staff Noh said in an agitated tone, "They are not thieves, they are murderers. These rally organizers are murderers."

On the morning of October 3rd, National Foundation Day, police buses lined up on the road in Gwanghwamun, Seoul. / Photo by Yonhap News

In response, Park asked, "Are you saying that people who attended the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions rally are also murderers?" to which Chief of Staff Noh retorted, "There were no deaths there." The verbal exchange between the two escalated with protests and loud voices from both ruling and opposition party members, leading Chairman Kim to declare a recess.

Earlier, on October 3rd, National Foundation Day, the police blocked the Gwanghwamun area with barricades to prevent rallies led by some conservative groups. The opposition criticized these barricades, dubbing them "Jaein Fortress," likening them to the "Myungbak Fortress" from 2009. Although part of COVID-19 prevention measures, there were criticisms that using public authority to block the middle of the square was excessive.

At the time, Kim Jong-in, emergency committee chairman of the People Power Party, criticized, "On Chuseok, the government is building a new fortress on Gwanghwamun Street," and said, "I don't understand what the government fears to mobilize massive police forces and fortify the city center."

However, the ruling party countered such criticism by stating it was a "means to protect the lives and safety of the people." Kim Jong-min, a Supreme Council member of the Democratic Party, said at the party's Supreme Council meeting, "The police blockade is the minimum measure to protect the lives and safety of the people," and added, "It is seriously concerning that the People Power Party is protecting conservative rallies by complaining about barricades."

At the time, Hwang Hee, a member of the same party, emphasized the difference in a post on his Facebook, saying, "The Myungbak Fortress was built by the Lee Myung-bak government to protect the regime amid threats to public health from mad cow disease beef imports," and "The Jaein Fortress was built by the Moon Jae-in government to protect the people."