"Kim Jae-won Visiting Jeju, Did He Forcefully Apologize for the 4·3 Incident?"

Resumed Politics via Radio After Disciplinary Action but Controversy Again
"Ruling Party Leadership Reveals Level of Awareness on Jeju 4·3 Incident"

Kim Jae-won, a Supreme Council member of the People Power Party who sparked controversy with remarks such as "Opposition to including the May 18 Democratic Uprising in the Constitution" and "The Jeju 4.3 Memorial Day is of low status," has revealed that his apology to the bereaved families was made at the request of the party leadership, igniting a controversy over a so-called "forced apology." After receiving a one-year suspension of party membership due to consecutive controversies, he had recently resumed political activities through radio appearances but made remarks that once again sparked criticism.

On the afternoon of the 1st, Kim appeared on CBS Radio's "Park Jae-hong's One-on-One Battle" and said, "Around April 4th, Representative Kim Ki-hyun told me to 'reflect quietly for a month and stay silent. The rest will be handled,' and I saw that as a disciplinary action." He added, "Among the many stories that came out then, there were so many absurd ones, but because of my promise to the party leader, I did not raise any objections, which led to me being demonized."

He continued, "Still, with the mindset that this was a disciplinary action, I visited Gwangju and Jeju. This was also at the request of the leadership, but then I was disciplined."

The issue arose from his statement that "visiting Gwangju and Jeju to apologize was at the request of the leadership." Kim had caused controversy in March with remarks opposing the constitutional inclusion of the May 18 spirit and saying that the Jeju 4.3 Incident was of low status. As the controversy grew, Kim visited Gwangju and Jeju in April to express his apologies to the bereaved families.

Kim Jae-won, Supreme Council Member of the People Power Party, is attending the Central Ethics Committee held at the People Power Party headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 8th of last month. [Image source=Yonhap News]

The Jeju Provincial Party of the Democratic Party of Korea issued a statement on the 2nd criticizing, "The ruling party People Power Party leadership’s level of understanding of Jeju 4.3 has been revealed."

The Democratic Party’s Jeju Provincial Party claimed, "Kim, who caused controversy with his outrageous remark that Jeju 4.3 is of low status, confessed that his apology in front of the victims and bereaved families during his visit to Jeju was a 'forced apology' made at the request of the leadership."

Kim received a severe disciplinary action of a one-year suspension of party membership due to consecutive controversies. Although there were calls for him to resign from the Supreme Council, Kim stated that he would not step down from his position as Supreme Council member, chosen by party members as the senior Supreme Council member at the party convention, and chose to remain on the Supreme Council.

Recently, he resumed political activities mainly through radio. On the 31st of last month, on YTN Radio's "News King Park Ji-hoon," he compared himself to a "wrestler who has stepped out of the ring," emphasizing his role.

Kim, who likened himself to the late professional wrestler and headbutt champion Kim Il, said, "If the ruling party’s Supreme Council is composed of weak members, it causes significant problems in that regard, so there is definitely some regret."