"Apologize, Park Junghwa Seoul City Councilor, for Supporting Anti-Democratic and Anti-Constitutional Martial Law!"

Im Gyu-ho, spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Korea in the Seoul Metropolitan Council, issued a statement on the 5th, demanding that Assemblyman Park Jung-hwa, who supported the declaration of martial law on the 3rd, apologize.

The following is the full text of Spokesperson Im’s statement.

On the 3rd, President Yoon Seok-yeol plunged the Republic of Korea into extreme anxiety and fear by suddenly declaring ‘martial law.’ Although the emergency martial law lasted only six hours, President Yoon’s anti-democratic and anti-constitutional declaration of martial law brought serious crises to national security, the economy, and diplomacy. Above all, by invoking the specter of the military dictatorship era symbolized by ‘martial law,’ he left an indelible stain on the history of democracy in this land.

President Yoon’s declaration of martial law is a clear unconstitutional act that destroys liberal democracy and the constitutional order, and it is an act of rebellion aimed at paralyzing the National Assembly by blocking its functions.

The Democratic Party of Korea in the Seoul Metropolitan Council (Representative Assemblyman Seong Heum-je) expresses deep regret over Assemblyman Park Jung-hwa (photo, People Power Party, Seongdong 1), who publicly supported the martial law that incited national rebellion through anti-democratic and anti-constitutional dictatorial acts.

At that time, despite the late hour in the Yeouido area, members of the National Assembly were gathering one after another to pass a resolution demanding the lifting of martial law, while citizens, police, and military personnel clashed in various places, escalating a crisis on the brink of explosion.

In this unprecedented martial law situation, where citizens shocked by the emergency needed to be calmed and administrative confusion and citizen inconvenience minimized, Assemblyman Park Jung-hwa’s action of publicly supporting the declaration of martial law and urging party members to participate is clearly tantamount to complicity in rebellion.

The statement “The president declared it, so I just supported it without much thought” should not be overlooked. Saying ‘I had no thoughts’ about this unprecedented emergency martial law is a self-denial of the qualifications and competence of a Seoul Metropolitan Council member.

The Democratic Party of Korea in the Seoul Metropolitan Council formally urges Assemblyman Park Jung-hwa, who publicly supported President Yoon’s declaration of martial law, to issue a public apology and calls on the People Power Party to take responsible measures.