Park Kwang-on: "Threat to Fisheries Due to Opposition? Shifting Responsibility... Truly Fake News"

"The Cause of Threats to the Fisheries Industry is Japan's Marine Dumping and Our Government's Negligence"
"Has the Government Ever Taken Reliable Measures for the People?"

Park Kwang-on, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, sharply criticized the government and ruling party's claim on the 25th that "the Democratic Party is spreading fear about contaminated water and increasing damage to seafood," calling it "a complete fake news and absurd agitation."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

At the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly that morning, Floor Leader Park said, "Prime Minister Han Duck-soo claims that the biggest threat to our people is 'fake news and false agitation,' and because of this, the fisheries industry is being threatened, shifting the responsibility onto the opposition party and the public."

Park emphasized, "Has the government ever taken reliable measures for the people? The reason the public is anxious and the fisheries industry is threatened is Japan's nuclear-contaminated water being discharged into the ocean, and the government's complicity."

He urged the government and ruling party to "hurry if they truly care about the fisheries industry," proposing three measures.

Park said, "Measures to stop the Japanese government's (nuclear power plant contaminated water) ocean discharge must be taken even now," and added, "A complete ban on seafood imports related to this should also be considered." He also demanded participation in the four special safety measures bills adopted as party policy by the Democratic Party the previous day, substantial support for the domestic fisheries industry through supplementary budgets, and efforts to claim damages from Tokyo Electric Power Company.

The Democratic Party adopted four bills as party policy at the party meeting the previous day: the Agricultural Disaster Countermeasures Act, the revised law on origin labeling of agricultural and fishery products, the Support Act for Fishermen Affected by Fukushima Contaminated Water Discharge, and the Special Act for the Ban and Promotion of Import of Seafood Exposed to Radioactive Contaminated Water from the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant.