Lee Jae-myung: "Yoon Seok-yeol Praising Jeon Du-hwan Should Be Punished by Enacting a Korean Version of the Holocaust Law"

Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea and governor of Gyeonggi Province, is paying tribute by offering flowers at the Gwangju May 18th Cemetery on the 22nd.

[Asia Economy=Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea and Governor of Gyeonggi Province, argued that Yoon Seok-yeol, the People Power Party candidate who praised Jeon Du-hwan, should be punished by enacting a Korean version of the Holocaust denial law.

On the 22nd, after visiting the May 18th cemetery to pay respects and lay flowers, Lee said on Facebook, "Gwangju is my social mother," and recalled, "Facing the truth of Gwangju in May 1980 completely changed my life."

He continued, "Not only me, but the democracy that all of us enjoy at this moment would have been impossible without the blood of Gwangju," and directly criticized, "The one who trampled Gwangju with military boots and fired helicopters was Jeon Du-hwan."

He also said, "Countless innocent citizens were sacrificed before the guns and knives of the military," and emphasized, "Jeon Du-hwan was even sentenced to death for treason, and praising and defending a person who violated South Korean democracy and killed citizens is absolutely unforgivable."

He then introduced, "In Europe, even half a century after the end of World War II, there exists the so-called 'Holocaust denial punishment law' that punishes those who praise Nazis or deny Nazi crimes," adding, "Germany imposes up to five years imprisonment or fines, France imposes detention, and the European Union also stipulates up to three years imprisonment through agreements."

Therefore, Lee said, "South Korea also needs such a 'Holocaust denial punishment law,'" and lamented, "Candidate Yoon Seok-yeol is recklessly causing secondary harm with photos of him eating 'apology' instead of reflecting on praising Jeon Du-hwan."

He added, "Given his past unreasonable remarks and philosophy, this is not surprising, but I can only apologize to our citizens who will be hurt again by the praise of Jeon Du-hwan."

Lee asserted, "Crimes committed by state violence must never be tolerated," and argued, "Regardless of the statute of limitations or expiration, as long as the criminal is alive, every time a new crime is revealed, they must be strictly compensated and punished."

Meanwhile, as voices calling for a 'public apology' regarding Yoon Seok-yeol's praise of Jeon Du-hwan spread, he stirred controversy by posting a photo on his SNS of giving an apple to a dog.