Lee Jae-myung Says "Stop Fasting"... Lee Jung-mi Responds "I Will Think It Over Carefully"

Visit to Representative Lee Jeong-mi on 18th Day of Fasting
"Government Response Unacceptable" Consensus

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, tried to dissuade Lee Jeong-mi, leader of the Justice Party, who has been on a hunger strike for 18 days opposing the discharge of contaminated water from Fukushima, Japan, into the ocean. Lee Jeong-mi said, "I will do my best to clearly show my determination to fight until the end and to gather the hearts of the people," indirectly refusing to stop the hunger strike.

On the same day, Lee Jae-myung visited the Japanese Embassy in Seoul’s Jongno District, where Lee Jeong-mi was protesting, and said, "The contaminated water issue is not something that will end with the discharge; it is a structural problem that will continue long-term," adding, "It seems we need a long-term battle, but you must not further damage your health, so it should be done more efficiently and over the long term. Although the public may not be satisfied, it would be better to stop the hunger strike to do our best."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

However, Lee Jeong-mi reiterated, "I will do my best to clearly show my determination to fight until the end and to gather the hearts of the people," and despite repeated dissuasion, said, "I will think carefully," and "I will do well."

Earlier, on the 10th, Lee Jae-myung visited Woo Won-shik, a Democratic Party lawmaker who had been on a hunger strike for 15 days, urging him to stop. Woo responded, "I will continue the bigger fight," and then ended his hunger strike.

On this day, both leaders voiced a united criticism of the South Korean government's response to Japan’s discharge of contaminated water. Lee Jeong-mi said, "The president should at least pretend to represent the 84% of the people who say that ocean dumping of contaminated water is unacceptable," adding, "Since the government consistently ignores this and sides with the Japanese government and Tokyo Electric Power Company, I am here at the protest site with the feeling that even the opposition party must step up and fight." She also criticized, "This is something completely unacceptable at a common-sense level."

In response, Lee Jae-myung said, "The government should be actively fighting against Japan’s discharge of contaminated water, but instead, the government is siding with Japan, even promoting it, and when the public raises concerns, they dismiss it as rumors and punish people, which is a bewildering situation." He pointed out, "They say they will pour rust into a well we all share, but our government, which should naturally block it, says there is no problem and even promotes and advertises it, which is incomprehensible."

Then, the two suggested the need for opposition party cooperation, saying, "It is a difficult situation to understand, but anyway, we must stay strong and overcome it well."