Democratic Party Floor Leader Park Hong-geun at the time
Received the statement from former Speaker Kim Jin-pyo
Amid controversy over former National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo's memoir suggesting that President Yoon Suk-yeol suspected "manipulation" related to the Itaewon tragedy, Park Hong-geun, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, indirectly confirmed the president's remarks by stating that he heard the conversation from Kim.
On the early morning of the 28th, Representative Park revealed the contents of the conversation he heard from former Speaker Kim through social media (SNS), sharing notes he had taken at the time. Park said, "As the floor leader of the ruling party at the time, I frequently met with the National Assembly Speaker. Especially since Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min, who was named responsible for the Itaewon tragedy, did not resign, I strongly pushed for his dismissal by the president and even impeachment by the National Assembly. Therefore, I was well aware of former Speaker Kim's efforts to persuade President Yoon to have Minister Lee resign by any means." He added, "Former Speaker Kim, whom I often met or spoke with, shared with me the conversations he had with President Yoon exactly as they were." The notes Park disclosed indicate that President Yoon mentioned the following:
"Itaewon, which has a few Southeast Asian restaurants, does not have many food or drinking establishments nor many attractions, so I cannot understand how such a large crowd gathered there. It is suspicious that left-leaning media outlets like MBC, KBS, and JTBC aired broadcasts encouraging people to gather 2 to 3 days before the accident. An acquaintance's daughter and son-in-law also went to see the scene late after seeing such reports and were involved in the accident. I suspect this is not an accidental occurrence but a criminal incident caused by certain forces or individuals. If Minister Lee resigns before clarifying the suspicions surrounding the incident, and if criminal facts are later confirmed, it would mean falling into the hands of leftist claims. Therefore, the government's political and moral responsibility should be taken after the investigation is complete."
Park further stated, "While serving as floor leader, I heard several times that President Yoon was engrossed in far-right YouTube channels," but added, "Given the enormous shock the public felt over the deaths of 159 innocent people, it was initially hard to believe that the president would utter such irrational remarks." However, he explained, "Former Speaker Kim is known to be very discreet and not someone who fabricates stories, as anyone who has worked with him in legislative activities knows. I have been confident in my notes. After re-verifying the contents of Kim's memoir, which must have been fact-checked multiple times due to social controversy and legal responsibility, I can no longer deny that these are clear facts."
Earlier, former Speaker Kim introduced the conversation he had with President Yoon regarding the Itaewon tragedy in his memoir titled "What Has the Republic of Korea Accumulated?" According to Kim, he conveyed the idea that the political deadlock over the dismissal motion against Minister Lee Sang-min, who was at odds with the ruling and opposition parties, should be resolved through voluntary resignation. President Yoon reportedly responded, "While that is all correct, I have strong suspicions about the Itaewon tragedy, so I cannot make a decision. There is also the possibility that this incident was orchestrated and manipulated by certain forces." Kim added, "It was hard to believe that conspiracy theories from far-right YouTubers were coming so easily from the president's mouth."
In response, the Presidential Office stated, "It is deplorable that a former National Assembly Speaker, who requested a private meeting with the president at the National Prayer Breakfast, is distorting the conversation and publicizing it arbitrarily." They continued, "The president instructed that all various suspicions raised by the media be thoroughly investigated at every meeting held by related agencies for handling and preventing the tragedy." They also rebutted, "The president has expressed that it is incomprehensible that the lanes were not opened, as even opening just one lane would have reduced the crowd pressure on the sidewalks and prevented the accident."
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