Opposition Lawmaker in MBC Radio Interview
"Court Will Strictly Judge Defamation of Moon's Father"
Yoon Geon-young, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, criticized Park Min-sik, Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, on the 14th, saying his recent actions are "copying Han Dong-hoon (Minister of Justice)" and urged, "It seems like you are trying hard to get nominated for the general election, but please stop doing that."
In an interview with MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus,' Yoon said, "I closely observed the recent government questioning and the Budget and Accounts Special Committee process, and since the president told them to go out and fight, all the ministers are following Han Dong-hoon," adding, "They are nitpicking and playing word games, which lowers the dignity of the Republic of Korea."
Earlier, on the 6th, during the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee full meeting, Minister Park stated while defending General Baek Seon-yeop was not a pro-Japanese collaborator, "Former President Moon's father served as the head of the agricultural department at Heungnam City Hall during the Japanese colonial period; isn't that being a pro-Japanese collaborator?"
In response, former President Moon Jae-in filed a lawsuit against Minister Park on the 12th, accusing him of defaming his father's honor.
In the complaint, former President Moon stated, "The complainant is not filing this lawsuit out of mere personal anger over the defamation of his father's honor. In the political world, there are too many cases where people raise their voices recklessly, regardless of whether the facts are false or true, or whether it hurts others, to divide our society and incite hostility for their political gain," adding, "I believe such behavior must be expelled from the political world."
Yoon interpreted, "That paragraph was directly added by former President Moon when he submitted the complaint," and said, "He saw the extreme political behavior of throwing out any words recklessly and the creation of hostility as something that must be stopped."
He further explained that according to former President Moon's memory, his father served as the head of the agricultural department in Heungnam City after liberation. Yoon said, "The president remembers that his father and mother married in 1947, and after their marriage, his father served as the head of the agricultural department in Heungnam City," emphasizing, "Just because the deceased cannot speak, is it acceptable to summon the deceased like this? We must stop baselessly labeling someone as a pro-Japanese collaborator and politically exploiting such matters."
Regarding Minister Park's explanation on the 12th that he "never unilaterally labeled or criticized former President Moon's father as a pro-Japanese collaborator," Yoon pointed out, "How can he say that when he defined him as a pro-Japanese collaborator in the standing committee and then deny it? That is just passing the buck."
Yoon also said, "Rep. Jeong Jin-seok of the People Power Party was convicted and given a suspended sentence by the court for baseless slander claiming that former President Roh Moo-hyun committed suicide after a marital quarrel," adding, "The court will also make a strict judgment on this case."
Rep. Jeong, who was indicted on charges including defamation of a deceased person and defamation under the Information and Communications Network Act, was sentenced to six months in prison on the 10th of last month but avoided immediate imprisonment and retained his seat in the National Assembly. However, Rep. Jeong appealed the court's decision on the 14th of last month.
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