Former Democratic Party Spokesperson's 'Cheonan Ship Insult'... Opposition: "Nonsense," "President Should Clarify Position on North Korea's Responsibility"

"Cheonanham Captain as Subordinate Leader" Controversial Remark by Ruling Party Official
Opposition: "Such Incidents Occur Due to President Moon's Ambiguous Stance"

Former Democratic Party spokesperson Cho Sang-ho is speaking on Channel A's 'News Top 10' on the 7th. Photo by Channel A broadcast screen capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] Criticism is pouring in from the opposition regarding the 'Cheonan Ship slander' by a former Democratic Party official. On the 8th, former Democratic Party senior spokesperson Cho Sang-ho appeared on a radio show and sparked controversy by saying, "The captain of the Cheonan Ship drowned all his precious subordinates." The opposition pointed out that such remarks emerged because the Moon Jae-in administration showed an ambiguous attitude toward the Cheonan Ship sinking incident.

Kim Ki-hyun, acting leader and floor leader of the People Power Party, held a party floor strategy meeting that day and said, "Denying the Cheonan Ship sinking is denying the reason for the nation's existence," and demanded, "President Moon Jae-in should stop beating around the bush and clearly answer whether the Cheonan Ship sinking was the work of North Korea."

Joo Ho-young, a member of the same party, also wrote on his Facebook, calling it "a slander that could only be heard from North Korea's Korean Central News Agency," and asked, "Why are the clear acts of North Korea being blamed on the surviving soldiers?" He added, "President Moon Jae-in, who has not mentioned North Korea in the Memorial Day speeches for five years, should take full responsibility."

Heo Eun-ah, a People Power Party lawmaker, also raised her voice against former spokesperson Cho, saying, "He is not a spokesperson but a 'sophist'." On Facebook, Rep. Heo criticized, "The main culprit of the Cheonan Ship attack is Kim Jong-un of North Korea, but he cannot say a single word about the main culprit and instead treats the surviving heroes as the culprits," adding, "I feel unbearable anger at such remarks that lack social empathy and shame. It is a disgraceful statement from the ruling power that has lost its ability to self-purify."

On the 9th, in front of the Ministry of National Defense in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, the Cheonanham Foundation, the Bereaved Families Association, and the Survivors' Comrades Association held a placard protest urging the restoration of honor for the veterans and victims. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

Former People Power Party lawmaker Yoo Seung-min also pointed out, "To blame Captain Choi Won-il, who lives with the pain of losing 46 comrades for life, for crimes committed by Kim Jong-un and Kim Yong-chol makes me fundamentally question whether he is truly a fellow citizen of the Republic of Korea," and added, "The reason such shocking incidents keep happening is because President Moon Jae-in's attitude toward the Cheonan Ship sinking is ambiguous."

Meanwhile, former spokesperson Cho, faced with a flood of criticism over his remark about drowning the Cheonan Ship, responded, "What exactly is the offensive remark?"

He said, "The captain did not even know what hit them as the ship sank due to the torpedo attack. In the end, 46 young lives were lost. So, is the captain not responsible?" He did not retract his position, saying, "I feel more sorry for the 46 innocent young lives who perished due to their incompetence and complacency, failing to maintain vigilance during the operation, and for their fellow soldiers who still suffer from trauma."