Park Ji-won: "No Opposition Lawmaker Should Be Flustered Without Saying a Word Against Jeong Yul-seong"

"Lee Sang-min Can Demand 'Resignation'... Need to Persuade Lee Jae-myung"
"Then What About Park Chung-hee? How Long Will Past Truth Investigations Continue?"

Amid controversy surrounding the 'Jeong Yul-seong Historical Park' being promoted by Gwangju Metropolitan City, former National Intelligence Service Director Park Ji-won raised his voice, saying, "Democratic Party lawmakers who are scared and flustered, unable to say a word about Gwangju's Jeong Yul-seong, should not be in office," urging opposition lawmakers to take a more active stance.

On the 28th, former Director Park said on SBS's 'Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show', "The opposition must fight. The reason the Democratic Party is ineffective right now is because they are not fighting," he said.

In response to the host's question, "There are reports that Jeong Yul-seong came down to Seoul with the Chinese People's Volunteer Army during the Korean War and looted royal court music scores," he said, "If you go about it like that, what kind of person was President Park Chung-hee? If you bring up all our unfortunate historical past, there will be no one left to live among our 50 million people."

Former National Intelligence Service Director Park Ji-won is responding to reporters' questions as he appears at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office on the 14th. Photo by Heo Young-han younghan@

He suggested that past issues should be left in the past. He said, "Therefore, President Kim Dae-jung, when he was the opposition leader, said in an interview with Dong-A Ilbo that the 36 years of Japanese colonial rule was like a prison for our Korean territory. Does that mean everyone was a traitor? People who rode trains, people who paid taxes?were they all pro-Japanese? That can't be right," adding, "So, even when I was the head of the National Intelligence Service, I said let's stop this. How long are we going to keep correcting history, investigating past incidents, and clearing out deep-rooted evils?"

In the same context, he also opposed the Moon administration's efforts to 'correct history' and clear out deep-rooted evils. Former Director Park said, "I was strongly opposed. And while I was the head of the NIS, I reinstated and promoted all those who had been retaliated against properly," adding, "If things are overturned again in three and a half years, this can't continue."

Regarding Rep. Lee Sang-min from the non-mainstream faction of the Democratic Party saying, "If Representative Lee Jae-myung does not step down, there will be lawmakers who decide their positions," he said, "One or two lawmakers like Lee might say that. This is a healthy party," adding, "But you can't just refuse to let them board. Isn't the People Power Party refusing to let them board?" He said the claims of the non-mainstream faction should also be accepted.

He said, "Because it is a democratic party, it is possible to tell the leader to step down. However, the leader must also meet with those lawmakers individually to persuade them," adding, "Even the great Kim Dae-jung and Kim Young-sam were expelled from their parties. These things are common in politics."