Kim Jong-min: "No matter how much you hate the president, insulting the funeral is against human decency"

"Thinking Differently Is Not the Path to Democracy Through Division"
Urging Restraint in Attacks Toward the Opposition's Hardline Supporters

Kim Jong-min, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, urged restraint toward some hardline Democratic Party supporters who attack others, saying, "The anti-democratic behavior of hatred, hostility, antagonism, and personal attacks is going too far."

On the 27th, Kim posted on Facebook, "It started in politics, but now its muzzle has spread across all areas of society, shaking the entire democratic republic. We must stop this quickly," he said.

Kim Jong-min, Member of the Democratic Party of Korea./Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

Kim referred to recent cases such as singer Noh Sa-yeon being criticized for visiting the condolence of President Yoon Seok-youl's father, and the backlash during the appointment of Jang Mi-ran as the 2nd Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, saying, "Dividing and attacking with hatred and hostility just because someone thinks differently from me is not the path of democracy. It is the path of the Taliban, the path of the Red Guards."

He continued, "No matter how much you hate President Yoon, pouring out abusive language and insults at a condolence visit goes against human decency," and pointed out, "Digging up and condemning a family's past is anti-democratic and anti-human rights, something only possible in feudal or dictatorial times."

Kim also said, "Writer Kim Hoon was verbally abused with accusations of senility and calls to quit writing just because he criticized former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk’s children’s admission corruption in an article," emphasizing, "If you are a citizen of a democratic republic or a supporter of the Democratic Party, this is something 'you must not do.'"

He added, "It is good to strongly assert my thoughts. However, forcing my thoughts on others is violence," and demanded, "Not only military dictatorship or prosecutorial dictatorship is dictatorship, but labeling and exclusively attacking those who think differently as wrong is dictatorship. Stop this quickly before verbal violence worsens into physical violence as in the past."