Message Delivered to Bereaved Family Through Presidential Aides
President Yoon Suk-yeol expressed his condolences to the family of a supporter who died after attempting self-immolation on the 20th. He also urged members of civic groups who are on a hunger strike opposing impeachment to stop their fast.
According to the Blue House, President Yoon conveyed through aides who visited the funeral hall of supporter Kwon, held at a hospital in Seoul, that "he respectfully offers his condolences to the bereaved family and will faithfully carry out the wishes of the deceased father."
The aides expressed their sympathy to the family, saying, "The President was deeply saddened upon hearing the tragic news. He also read the will left by the father several times."
Kwon, in his 70s, distributed leaflets with the phrase "Long live President Yoon Suk-yeol" and criticized the opposition party and the Constitutional Court before setting himself on fire on the rooftop of the Urban Architecture Exhibition Hall in Jung-gu, Seoul, on the 7th. He passed away yesterday while receiving treatment at the hospital.
President Yoon also requested, through People Power Party lawmaker In Yo-han, that members of civic groups on a hunger strike opposing impeachment stop their fast. Lawmaker In visited supporters including Jeon Ji-young (Secretary-General of the National Justice Practice Union), who have been on a hunger strike for 23 days in front of the Constitutional Court, appealing against the President’s impeachment, and delivered President Yoon’s message.
President Yoon said, "No matter how important the impeachment trial result is, it cannot be more precious than your lives, so I earnestly ask you to stop the hunger strike and recover your health."
This is the second time a supporter of President Yoon has died from self-immolation. Earlier, on January 15, a man in his 50s attempted self-immolation near the Government Complex Gwacheon in Gwacheon City, Gyeonggi Province, where the High-ranking Officials’ Crime Investigation Unit is located, during the arrest of President Yoon by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, and he died on the 20th of the same month.
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