Jeong Cheongrae: "If the Nosangwon notebook had succeeded"
Song: "I wish it had happened"... Ruling party protests
During the negotiation group leader's speech by Jeong Cheongrae, the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, the Democratic Party demanded the resignation of Song Eonseok, the floor leader of the People Power Party, who made "extreme remarks" toward President Lee Jaemyung and Leader Jeong.
Jeong Cheongrae, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is delivering a negotiation group leader's speech at the National Assembly plenary session in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 9th. Photo by Yonhap News
On the afternoon of September 10, the Democratic Party released a statement to the parliamentary press corps, saying, "It has been revealed that the person who made unspeakable remarks about President Lee Jaemyung and the opposing party's leader during Jeong Cheongrae's negotiation group leader's speech yesterday was Song Eonseok, floor leader of the People Power Party," and released a video clip of the incident.
Regarding this, Park Suhyeon, chief spokesperson of the Democratic Party, met with reporters at the National Assembly communication center and said, "The content is truly shocking. Even if an ordinary lawmaker had made such remarks, it would be inexcusable. It is all the more shocking that Song Eonseok, who led the People Power Party as the emergency committee chair and is currently the floor leader responsible for follow-up measures in the bipartisan people's livelihood consultative body, displayed a perception that could be described as sympathizing with insurrectionary forces."
He continued, "The remarks made by Floor Leader Song yesterday could be interpreted as wishing for the deaths of President Lee and Leader Jeong. The Democratic Party, together with the public, expresses strong regret and will once again hold him accountable for this incident."
At the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly that morning, Leader Jeong released the video and said, "Can you believe this? The Nosangwon notebook contained murder plots to actually kill hundreds or thousands of people during the martial law. If they had succeeded, both President Lee and I would have been killed at that time. I am warning about this, but is he saying it would have been better if we had died then?"
He also wrote on his social media, "The Nosangwon notebook chills me to the bone, and Song Eonseok's atrocious remarks are appalling. Is this the DNA of the People Power Party? I will hold Mr. Song, who has abandoned his humanity, fully accountable to the end. Resign from your parliamentary seat immediately."
Supreme Council member Jeon Hyunhee also posted on her social media, "Floor Leader Song's remarks were not a slip of the tongue. They clearly reveal his true feelings, sincerely wishing for the success of the insurrection. Floor Leader Song must apologize to President Lee Jaemyung and Leader Jeong today and resign from the National Assembly."
Meanwhile, when asked by reporters after a meeting between the ruling and opposition floor leaders in the afternoon whether he had made the remarks in question, Floor Leader Song did not respond.
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