Song Gap-seok: "Insulting Lee Jung-mi at the National Rally... An Insult to All Attendees"

"Public Apology to Justice Party and Representative Lee Jeong-mi" Statement Released

On the 13th, Song Gap-seok, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, apologized to the Justice Party and its leader Lee Jeong-mi. He expressed his apology as a politician from the Democratic Party for the verbal abuse directed at Lee and others by individuals presumed to be Democratic Party supporters during the "National Rally Urging Nullification of the Humiliating Forced Mobilization Agreement."

Through social media on the same day, Song said, "I heard that last Saturday at the 'National Rally Urging Nullification of the Humiliating Forced Mobilization Agreement,' some people who appeared to be strong Democratic Party supporters verbally abused and jeered at Justice Party leader Lee Jeong-mi," adding, "I apologize to the Justice Party and Leader Lee Jeong-mi."

He introduced, "Although I was not present at the event because I attended the 'Condemnation Rally Against the Yoon Seok-yeol Government's Opposition Suppression and Prosecutorial Dictatorship' held by the Democratic Party's Gwangju Metropolitan City branch, I felt truly uncomfortable, ashamed, and sorry to Leader Lee when some supporters jeered at her during the 'Emergency National Declaration Condemning the Forced Mobilization Government Agreement' held in front of the National Assembly main building on the 7th."

Song said, "Regarding the repeated inappropriate incidents within a week, although not representing the party leadership, I apologize to the Justice Party and Leader Lee Jeong-mi as one of the Democratic Party's members of the National Assembly."

Song Gap-seok, Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker [Image source=Yonhap News]

He stated, "That day’s rally was a 'National Rally' attended by all citizens with the common purpose of condemning the Yoon Seok-yeol government's humiliating forced mobilization agreement and urging its nullification. Insulting the speaker for political views unrelated to that purpose is no different from insulting all the citizens gathered in the square. If those people are our party members, they should know that this does not help the Democratic Party they support nor the politicians they back in any way."

The Justice Party demanded an apology regarding the incident the previous day where individuals presumed to be Democratic Party members verbally abused and jeered at Leader Lee during a rally condemning the forced mobilization humiliating agreement and urging Japan’s apology and compensation.

On the previous day, Justice Party spokesperson Wi Seon-hee said in a briefing, "At the rally condemning the humiliating forced mobilization agreement and urging Japan’s apology and compensation, serious jeering and verbal abuse were directed at Leader Lee Jeong-mi, insulting the leader of a public party, party members, and citizens," adding, "This act pollutes the earnest intentions of the citizens gathered at City Hall Plaza with the partisanship of the Democratic Party alone and is a serious problem that undermines the overall direction of the rally."

Although Song issued an apology, the Democratic Party leadership has not publicly released any apology statements.