"Punishment Needed for Concealing the Truth"... Announcement of Outdoor Rally Planned
A rally demanding a special investigation was held in Jeonbuk, the hometown of Marine Corporal Chae, who died in the line of duty while searching for missing persons during last year's heavy rains.
On the 8th, the Democratic Party of Korea held a "Citizens' Rally to Condemn the Yoon Seok-yeol Administration and Enforce the Special Investigation Act for Marines" in front of the old main gate of Jeonbuk National University.
At Daehak-ro in front of Jeonbuk National University on the 8th, Jeonbuk region Democratic Party members of the National Assembly, party members, and citizens are shouting slogans at the "Provincial Residents' Rally for the Enforcement of the Marine Corps Special Prosecutor Act." [Image source=Yonhap News]
The rally was attended by 10 Democratic Party lawmakers from the Jeonbuk region, party members, and about 2,000 people including the Marine Corps Reserve Corps (estimated by the organizers).
The participants, filling the sidewalk in front of Daehak-ro, held up placards with slogans such as "Special Investigation for Marines is the People's Victory" and "The People Are Angry at the Refusal of the Special Investigation."
Park Hee-seung, a lawmaker representing Namwon, the hometown of Corporal Chae, said, "The clearing of the sky after rain today is the will of heaven demanding a proper investigation of the truth and punishment for those who conceal it," adding, "The reason Corporal Chae died was due to the government's unreasonable demand for civilian support and the Marine Corps Command's forced search operation."
Park emphasized, "Even now, Corporal Chae's parents spend each day in pain thinking of their son," and said, "We will fight to the end to ensure the special investigation act is enforced against those trying to cover up the truth."
Kim Kyu-hyun, a lawyer advising the Marine Corps Reserve Corps, stated, "This fight is neither a confrontation between the ruling and opposition parties nor a battle between progressives and conservatives," and argued, "It is a confrontation between the people who support Corporal Chae, who sacrificed for the country, and Colonel Park Jeong-hoon, who chose the truth against external pressure, and the criminals who privatized state power to cover up the truth."
He raised his voice, saying, "We must all fight to create a truthful country where the death of a soldier who died unjustly in the line of duty is properly revealed and honored, and where the conscience of soldiers who chose the path of justice is fairly evaluated."
Lawmakers from the Jeonbuk region who attended the rally also took turns on the podium, urging support for the special investigation to clarify the circumstances of Corporal Chae's death.
The Democratic Party announced that starting from Jeonbuk on this day, they will continue holding rallies nationwide to enforce the "Corporal Chae Special Investigation Act," which was reintroduced as a party bill on the first day of the 22nd National Assembly session.
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