Visited the National Cemetery with Kim Moonsoo,
Paid Respects Alone to Sergeant Chae
Kim Yongtae, who has been nominated as the new Emergency Response Committee Chairperson of the People Power Party, visited the grave of the late Sergeant Chae, who died during a search operation for missing persons in heavy rain under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, on May 12.
On this day, Kim Yongtae, together with Kim Moonsoo, the People Power Party’s presidential candidate, visited the Daejeon National Cemetery to pay respects to the fallen of the Second Battle of Yeonpyeong, the Yeonpyeong Island shelling, and the 46 sailors of the Cheonan, after which Kim Yongtae alone visited Sergeant Chae’s grave.
After paying respects, Kim Yongtae stated in a message to the press, "Unfortunately, while the cause of this accident has been revealed, the external pressure on the investigation over the years has still not been uncovered."
He added, "The rule of law must be fair," and emphasized, "I believe there should be no sanctuary in investigations."
He continued, "I apologize for what happened under the previous Yoon Suk Yeol administration, and going forward, the People Power Party will do its utmost to uncover any external pressure on the investigation. I am truly sorry."
Last June, when Kim Yongtae was serving as an Emergency Response Committee member, he also called for "an explanation that the public can accept" regarding suspicions surrounding the handling of Sergeant Chae's death, and urged the Ministry of National Defense and the Presidential Office to resolve the issue themselves.
On this day, Kim Moonsoo, who accompanied Kim Yongtae to the National Cemetery, did not visit Sergeant Chae’s grave. Instead, he moved to the Daejeon city party office to attend the launch ceremony of the Chungcheong region election campaign committee. Kim Moonsoo said, "I am sorry that I was not able to pay respects to each and every grave."
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