Lee Jae-myung's 'Seafood Restaurant Meal' Controversy... Opposition: "What Does Eating Raw Fish Have to Do with the Contaminated Water Issue?"

Regarding the controversy sparked by reports that Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, who has been fasting for 13 days, dined at a sashimi restaurant in Mokpo the day before starting his fast after attending a rally condemning Fukushima contaminated water on the 30th of last month, Democratic Party figures have come forward to refute the claims, stating that "the contaminated water issue and dining at the sashimi restaurant are unrelated."

Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Yong-min wrote on his social media on the 12th, "It’s truly astonishing how the People Power Party (PPP) and the media turn this into a controversy," adding, "The PPP, which turns efforts to prevent ocean dumping of contaminated water so that citizens can safely consume seafood into a controversy, really seems inhumane."

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, who is continuing his 12th day of hunger strike, is lying in the hunger strike tent in front of the main building of the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul on the 11th. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

Earlier, a media outlet reported that on the 30th of last month, when Lee held a rally condemning the discharge of contaminated water at Mokpo Station Square, he visited a nearby sashimi restaurant with floor leader Park Kwang-on and other party members to have a meal. Lee also left a note in the restaurant’s guestbook saying, "I enjoyed the meal." The People Power Party immediately criticized this. Kim Min-soo, spokesperson for the PPP, remarked in a statement, "Did you replenish your nutrients with healthy seafood the day before your fast?" and sarcastically added, "Since you like ‘raw’ things so much, there’s a joke going around that maybe you’re fasting ‘raw’ as well."

In response, lawmaker Kim said, "How many people would believe it’s right to call it a controversy when they themselves call for promoting seafood consumption but dismiss what the Democratic Party does as a scandal?" and "This disgrace clearly shows how insincere the PPP is."

Democratic Party lawmaker Woo Won-shik also wrote on social media, "It’s truly despicable. What does stopping the discharge of contaminated water have to do with eating sashimi?" and "Don’t they understand that we are worried about the future of our seas and children’s diets? Truly a pathetic, bad party."