Handonghun tells Lee Jaemyung, one day before the second trial verdict on the Public Official Election Act, "Justice must be served"

Han: "South Korea Must Be a Country That Remembers the Cheonan Heroes Until the End"

Former People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon urged a guilty verdict regarding Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, who is set to receive an appellate court ruling on charges of violating the Public Official Election Act the following day, stating that "justice must be served."

On the 25th, after paying respects at the National Daejeon Cemetery in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, to mark the 15th anniversary of the Cheonan ship sinking, former leader Han told reporters, "Many people are watching the process of justice being realized," expressing his stance.

Regarding his visit to the Cheonan ship 46 heroes' burial site, he explained, "South Korea must be a country that remembers the Cheonan heroes and the Yeonpyeong naval battle heroes until the end," adding, "I made a pledge here, a day before the 15th anniversary of the Cheonan ship, to engage in politics that honors them."

He continued, "Ultimately, what kind of country we are depends not only on 'what kind of figures we produce' but also on 'what kind of figures we remember and honor for a long time,'" emphasizing, "We all must remember those who died in the Yeonpyeong naval battle and the Cheonan ship incident. I believe that is what elevates our national dignity." Former leader Han also wrote in the guestbook that day, "I respect the Cheonan ship heroes."

Han also criticized, saying, "There is still a situation where those who were harmed and suffered after the First Battle of Yeonpyeong are not recognized as national merit recipients," calling it "very wrong." Recently, eight veterans who participated in the First Battle of Yeonpyeong applied for national merit status but were judged "not applicable" because there was no diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In response, People Power Party lawmaker Go Dong-jin submitted a bill that day to recognize them as national merit recipients.

When asked by reporters whether his visit to the cemetery was related to his presidential campaign, he replied, "That is inappropriate. I have been coming here continuously since becoming Minister of Justice." Former leader Han has consistently visited the National Cemetery since his appointment as Minister of Justice in May 2022. In March last year, he also attended the West Sea Defense Day event held at the Navy's 2nd Fleet Command in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, as the emergency committee chairman of the People Power Party.

When asked about the possibility that the dismissal of the impeachment motion against Acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo might influence President Yoon Suk-yeol's impeachment trial, he avoided a direct answer, saying, "(The Constitutional Court) making some internal judgment is a continuous process of speculation based on fragments by the media or outsiders. It has little significance."

However, he added, "The Constitutional Court is the bastion that protects the constitutional order of South Korea," and "I believe it will make a decision that aligns with the constitutional spirit, constitutional procedures, and the national dignity of South Korea."

In response to a regional media reporter's comment that "People Power Party's approval ratings tend to decline in various surveys," he said, "Chungcheong has always made rational choices. The choice of Chungcheong has effectively influenced the choice of this country," adding, "In that regard, there are many points for the People Power Party to reflect on. I will start by reflecting on myself."

Former People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon visited the National Daejeon National Cemetery's Section 2, the burial site of the fallen soldiers from the Second Battle of Yeonpyeong and the Yeonpyeong Island shelling, on the morning of the 25th. After paying respects, he looked around the gravestones. Photo by Yonhap News.