Park Ji-won "Kim Nam-guk Should Have Been Expelled... Lee Jae-myung's Facility? Internal Backstabbing"

"People Who Can't Say Anything to Yoon Are Backstabbing Internally"

Former National Intelligence Service Director Park Ji-won expressed regret over the rejection of the expulsion proposal against Rep. Kim Nam-guk, who left the Democratic Party of Korea amid suspicions of multi-billion won cryptocurrency transactions, due to unanimous opposition from Democratic Party committee members at the National Assembly Ethics Special Committee.

On the 31st, Park said on BBS's 'Jeon Young-shin's Morning Journal,' "I have also served as a lawmaker for a long time and have a sense of protection for fellow lawmakers. However, engaging in cryptocurrency transactions is not right, no matter what," he said.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

However, suspicions have been raised that this decision was influenced by "instructions from Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung." Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Jong-min, who is not aligned with Lee, also made remarks implying that "it would have been impossible without the Lee Jae-myung leadership's instructions."

Regarding this, former Director Park said, "There is no need to talk about that," adding, "Those who cannot say a word against President Yoon Seok-yeol externally but shoot internally day and night? is that a legitimate party? Such factional politics should not be done." He described it as mere factional politics within the non-Lee faction.

He said the Democratic Party should unite around Leader Lee. Former Director Park stated, "If President Yoon Seok-yeol causes the country to fall into this state and calls for conflict, the Democratic Party must reorganize its ranks and unite under Leader Lee Jae-myung to fight. There must be a genuine showdown," adding, "Only then can this country's democracy, the economy of ordinary people, inter-Korean relations, and diplomacy avoid collapse."

He said, "The greatest reform and innovation of the Democratic Party is unity and solidarity," and urged, "Become a strong Democratic Party. Become the Democratic Party of Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun. Those who talk about a divided Democratic Party that President Yoon Seok-yeol desires should know that now is not the time to talk about that."

Regarding the issue of removing General Hong Beom-do's bust, he said, "General Hong Beom-do was discovered by President Roh Tae-woo and nurtured by Presidents Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye. That was then, so what is this now?"

"If we are to be so particular, what about President Park Chung-hee's Military Academy monument or Minister Baek Seon-yeop's pro-Japanese actions?"

He said, "Taking out the intact General Hong Beom-do to divide the country is not right," adding, "The president is currently marching hard toward a New Right republic."