Seo Youngkyo: "Kim Minjeon of People Power Party Brought Baekgoldan to the Assembly, Now Even Kim Hyungseok"

Seo Youngkyo, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, directly criticized Kim Minjeon, a member of the People Power Party, for arranging a National Assembly press conference for Kim Hyungseok, director of the Independence Hall of Korea, who sparked controversy with his Liberation Day address stating, "Liberation was a gift won by the victory of the Allied Powers." Seo stated, "She is not qualified to be a member of the National Assembly."

Kim Minjeon, a member of the People Power Party (center in the photo), arranged a press conference for the so-called "Anti-Communist Youth Group," which claimed to be the "Baekgoldan," at the National Assembly press conference room in January this year. Screenshot from the National Assembly broadcasting system.

On the afternoon of September 8, at the National Assembly, Assemblywoman Seo held a press conference with descendants of independence activists and others, saying, "At a time when the families of independence fighters are shouting, 'Dismiss Kim Hyungseok,' the mere fact that Kim Hyungseok was called to the National Assembly and allowed to hold a press conference here means that (Assemblywoman Kim) is not qualified to be a lawmaker." She added that the People Power Party "should take appropriate action" regarding Assemblywoman Kim.

Regarding Director Kim Hyungseok, Assemblywoman Seo said, "Kim Hyungseok has belittled the hard-fought struggle of independence fighters and the people of the Republic of Korea, and while the process of victory continues, he has made remarks and acted in ways that defend Japanese imperialism, falling into New Right ideology." She called for his immediate resignation.

Assemblywoman Kim had previously faced criticism for arranging a National Assembly press conference in January this year for the "Anti-Communist Youth Group," which claimed to be the "Baekgoldan," after the December 3 Martial Law. At that press conference, members of the Anti-Communist Youth Group, wearing white helmets, stood on the podium of the National Assembly press conference room and declared their intention to block the execution of an arrest warrant for former President Yoon Sukyeol. The term "Baekgoldan" refers to a plainclothes police unit that forcefully suppressed and arrested pro-democracy protesters during the 1980s and 1990s.

Born in 1965 in Hamyang County, South Gyeongsang Province, Assemblywoman Kim entered the National Assembly last year as a proportional representative of the People Power Party. After earning a master's degree in political science from the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Seoul National University and its graduate school, she worked as a policy investigator at the National Assembly Secretariat and later served as a professor at Kyung Hee University's Humanitas College.