[Report] Lee Jun-seok Meets Cheonan Ship Bereaved Families, Tearful First Schedule... "I Apologize for the Pain Caused"

Visiting the National Daejeon Memorial Cemetery Gravesite for Tribute
Also Visiting the Gwangju Collapse Accident Memorial Altar

Lee Jun-seok, the newly appointed leader of the People Power Party, is seen shedding tears while greeting the bereaved families of the victims at the Cheonan Ship 46 Heroes Cemetery in Gap-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, on the morning of the 14th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Daejeon=Asia Economy Reporter Park Jun-yi] "I will serve you well from now on."

Lee Jun-seok, the newly appointed leader of the People Power Party, began his first official schedule with tears. On the morning of the 14th, he visited the National Daejeon Cemetery to pay respects at the graves of the 46 Cheonan Ship heroes. Just as he was about to leave after paying respects, he encountered the bereaved families who had arrived earlier at the gravesite. They were Mrs. Yoon Mi-yeon, wife of the late Sergeant Kim Kyung-soo, and Mr. Im Ki-soo, father of the late Sergeant Im Jae-yeop.

Mrs. Yoon approached Lee and, tearfully, said, "After reading the letter you wrote, our son said, ‘I hope that feeling doesn’t change.’ He asked me to convey that he hopes he won’t be hurt any more in the future." In response, Lee repeatedly wiped his tears and said, "I understand. I will greet you more often from now on." He added, "Even when our conservative government was in power, we failed to properly address this issue, causing pain for nearly ten years. On behalf of the party, I apologize and promise to take the lead more than anyone else." Kim Ki-hyun, the floor leader who accompanied him, told the bereaved families that a separate team would be formed to immediately begin necessary measures.

On the same day, Lee also visited and paid respects at the graves of the fallen soldiers from the Second Battle of Yeonpyeong, the Yeonpyeong Island shelling provocation, and the Marineon helicopter crash. All of these individuals sacrificed their lives for the country, but their families suffered because the state had not sufficiently conducted fact-finding investigations or provided compensation. This approach was quite different from the usual practice of newly appointed party leaders immediately visiting the National Cemetery in Dongjak-gu, Seoul, and then presiding over their first Supreme Council meeting.

Speaking to reporters in front of the Daejeon National Cemetery, Lee expressed his determination to pay more attention to honoring the victims. He said, "I believe the People Power Party should properly honor those who sacrificed for the country. Although conservative parties have often emphasized security, we have not been proactive in veterans’ affairs or handling incidents and accidents. I visited the Daejeon National Cemetery with the intention of reflecting on this and making improvements." Lee wrote in the cemetery guestbook, "The Republic of Korea preparing for tomorrow will never forget the noble sacrifices and dedication."

Lee Jun-seok, the leader of the People Power Party (second from the right), is paying his respects at the "Joint Memorial Altar for Victims of the Demolished Building Collapse Disaster" set up in the parking lot of Dong-gu Office in Gwangju on the morning of the 14th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Afterwards, Lee visited the joint memorial altar for the victims of the demolition site collapse accident located at Dong-gu Office in Gwangju to pay his respects and held a briefing on the accident. In the afternoon, he returned to Seoul to preside over the Supreme Council meeting at the National Assembly and attend a party members’ meeting. Other official first-day schedules included a courtesy visit to National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seok.