Former President Moon sues Park Min-sik to police: "Baselessly slandering my father as 'pro-Japanese'"

Park Min-sik denies Baek Seon-yeop's pro-Japanese collaboration
Mentions President Moon's father
Former President Moon's side calls it "complete falsehood"

Former President Moon Jae-in filed a lawsuit on the 12th against Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Park Min-sik for defamation of the deceased.

Yoon Gun-young, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, informed reporters through a notification message on the same day, stating, "Former President Moon filed a lawsuit against Minister Park this morning for defamation of the deceased," and added, "A secretary authorized by former President Moon submitted the complaint to Yangsan Police Station."

Yoon said, "This is because Minister Park baselessly slandered former President Moon's father by claiming he was pro-Japanese," and added, "The government and ruling party must immediately stop politically exploiting even the father of a former president to cover up criticism against themselves."

Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Park Min-sik is attending the Political Affairs Committee held at the National Assembly on the 6th, responding to questions from lawmakers.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Minister Park, during a response to a current affairs inquiry at the National Assembly's Political Affairs Committee on the 6th, argued that General Baek Seon-yeop was not a pro-Japanese collaborator, stating, "If Baek Seon-yeop is called a pro-Japanese collaborator when he was in his early twenties, then Moon Yong-hyung, the father of President Moon Jae-in, was about the same age," and added, "Born in 1920, he served as the head of the agricultural department in Heungnam City at that time. So, if the head of agriculture in Heungnam City is not a pro-Japanese collaborator, then is Second Lieutenant Baek Seon-yeop of the Manchurian Military Academy a pro-Japanese collaborator?"

Regarding this, Representative Yoon held a press conference to clarify former President Moon's position. Yoon stated, "Minister Park Min-sik's claim that former President Moon's father was a pro-Japanese collaborator is a complete falsehood," and explained, "Former President Moon's father served as the head of the agricultural department at Heungnam City Hall not under Japanese colonial rule but after liberation. During the period when the United Nations forces were stationed, he briefly served as the head of the (agricultural) department."