Yun Hojung: "Lee Jaemyung Should Stop Fasting Now... Due to Health Issues"

"If Health Permits, I Will Reappear Before the Prosecution"
"There Has Never Been Such a Case in the Opposition Leader's Hunger Strike Protest"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, has been on a hunger strike for 12 days, and Yoon Ho-jung, a four-term Democratic Party lawmaker, expressed concern that it is now time to stop the hunger strike.

On the 11th, Yoon said on KBS's "Choi Kyung-young's Strong Current Affairs," "The leader's hunger strike has entered its 12th day, and his health seems to be quite poor," expressing his concerns.

On the same day, senior party members including Yoon gathered in a meeting presided over by former Speaker Park Byeong-seok to discuss the hunger strike protest. When asked by the host whether he thought the leader should stop the hunger strike now, Yoon replied, "My personal opinion is that he should stop now," citing "health reasons."

He also criticized the ruling party for not coming to persuade the leader to stop the hunger strike despite it being the 12th day. He said, "If they looked at the opposition leader's hunger strike from even a little bit of a humane perspective, they wouldn't behave like this," adding, "As far as I remember, this is the fourth hunger strike by an opposition leader, including Lee Jeong-hyun who just visited earlier, and there has been no precedent of this kind of behavior in the previous three opposition leader hunger strikes."

Yoon pointed out, "The presidential office should at least send a senior secretary for political affairs to offer comfort and ask him to stop, or the ruling party leader should visit or at least show concern about his health, but there is absolutely no such consideration," and criticized, "Not only mockery but also sending lawmaker Tae Young-ho to lodge complaints. All they are sending are just prosecution summons."

On the 9th, the prosecution notified Lee to appear again on the 12th for investigation. Yoon said, "I believe the leader will go if his health permits," and added, "Our party's position, as well as the leader's position, is to actively cooperate with the prosecution's investigation."