Woo Won-sik "Sang-min Lee Crossed the Line... Is It Right to Speak to the Party Leader on the 6th Day of Fasting?"

Disagreement Among Opposition Over Lee Jae-myung's Hunger Strike

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, began an indefinite hunger strike, and Lee Sang-min, a non-pro-Lee (Bimyeong, 非明) Democratic Party lawmaker, said, "The sight of being taken to the hospital does not look very dignified and even appears pathetic." In response, Woo Won-shik, a pro-Lee (Chinmyeong, 親明) Democratic Party lawmaker, criticized him, saying, "He crossed the line."

On the 5th, Woo said on his social media (SNS), "Let me say this seriously: pathetic? Is this something you say to the party leader who is on the 6th day of a hunger strike with a desperate heart?"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

He added, "Lee said about the party leader's hunger strike, 'The sight of being taken to the hospital during the hunger strike does not look dignified and even appears pathetic.' As someone who went on a 15-day hunger strike opposing the dumping of Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water, I feel deeply insulted." He continued, "Since its founding, the Democratic Party has pointed out injustices against authoritarian regimes by all means, but when nothing else worked, we have informed the public of our will through hunger strikes risking our lives. Are you saying that the many predecessors' actions looked pathetic?"

He further said, "If so, it sounds like Lee is confessing that he does not fit the identity of the Democratic Party," and criticized, "In a situation where we should be pooling wisdom and overcoming the crisis, is it appropriate for a five-term senior lawmaker to sprinkle a handful of salt?"

Yang Yi-won-young, another Democratic Party lawmaker, also shared this post and said, "Lee, you really went too far."