Hwang Sang-mu "1988 Government-Critical Reporter Stabbed"
Lee Jae-myung "Not Just Silencing, But 'Knife Silencing'"
Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, called for the dismissal of Hwang Sang-moo, Senior Secretary for Civil Society at the Presidential Office. Demands for a 'decision' on Hwang's position are continuing from both ruling and opposition parties.
On the morning of the 18th, at the 3rd Central Election Countermeasures Meeting held at the Yeouido Central Party Office, Lee said, "A key aide of the Presidential Office directly threatened the media by mentioning a 'kitchen knife terror attack,'" adding, "The behavior of the Yoon administration is becoming increasingly outrageous." He continued, "The Yoon administration is a 'measles' regime that suppresses the people, oppresses the press, and threatens," and asserted, "No matter how much they intimidate and oppress, they cannot escape the judgment of the people."
Lee Jae-myung, the Standing Co-Chairman of the Democratic Party of Korea, is speaking at the Central Election Countermeasures Meeting held at the party headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul on the 13th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@
He then emphasized, "The President must immediately dismiss Senior Secretary Hwang and apologize to the public." Hwang sparked controversy on the 14th during a lunch with reporters by referring to the 'kitchen knife terror attack on journalists.' On that day, Hwang reportedly said, "MBC, listen carefully," and added, "I came from the Defense Intelligence Command, and in 1988, an economic newspaper reporter was stabbed twice in the thigh with a knife." The incident Hwang mentioned refers to the August 1988 attack in which soldiers belonging to the military intelligence command assaulted reporter Oh Hong-geun, who wrote columns critical of the military, with a knife.
Kim Boo-kyum, co-chairman of the joint standing election countermeasures committee, also voiced criticism of Hwang Sang-moo. Kim said, "Han Dong-hoon, emergency committee chairman of the People Power Party, called for a decision on Senior Secretary Hwang's position," and added, "I welcome this." He further stated, "Considering the rule of law and the public's expectations, this is desirable," and "I will observe the Yoon administration's actions." Moreover, he added, "This is an opportunity to establish minimum standards for the governance of the Republic of Korea."
Chairman Han had previously mentioned during the Central Election Countermeasures Committee meeting the day before, in an interview with reporters, "(The kitchen knife terror remarks) are statements that do not meet the public's expectations, and he should decide his own position."
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