"Stop Spreading Fake News That Fuels Public Anxiety"
"People Power Party Must Work Together to Solve the Problem"
Senior Member of the Democratic Party of Korea, Eonju Lee, criticized some opposition lawmakers for fueling public anxiety and making politically motivated claims that are not based on facts regarding the fire at the National Information Resources Service (NIRS). On the 28th, Lee stated on social media, "Fake news about the fire at the National Information Resources Service is rampant," adding, "There are all sorts of conspiracy theories circulating, such as claims that North Korea started the fire to cover up a cyberattack, that a certain country was involved, or even that the government deliberately set the fire to hide unfavorable information."
Previously, on the 28th, Joo Jinwoo, a lawmaker from the People Power Party, criticized on social media, saying, "After remaining silent for 40 hours following the NIRS fire, all the President said was, 'Check with the relevant ministry for specifics.' This is the height of irresponsibility." He demanded, "Disclose every detail of the President's activities during the 40 hours after the fire and apologize to the public." Na Kyungwon, another lawmaker from the People Power Party, also posted on social media on both the 27th and 28th, stating, "Administrative procedures for entry screening alone cannot prevent visa-free entrants from becoming illegal residents or remaining unidentified," and urged a delay in implementing the visa-free entry policy for Chinese group tourists, saying, "Until the government network is fully restored and effective measures for identification and post-entry management are in place, the large-scale visa-free entry policy should not be pushed forward."
In response to these criticisms from the opposition, Lee stated, "The baseless claims of opposition lawmakers, taking advantage of public anxiety, have gone too far," and added, "They are suddenly linking the visa-free entry for Chinese nationals, which was decided during the Yoon Suk-yeol administration as part of efforts to revitalize tourism and boost the people's livelihood, to the recent fire without any evidence, insisting it should be stopped. Some are even making unreasonable demands to disclose the President's whereabouts and attacking the government and the ruling party without justification."
Amid the near paralysis of the government network due to a fire at the National Information Resources Service, on the 29th, a notice stating "Access with mobile ID is not possible due to the fire at the National Information Resources Service" was posted at the entrance of the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jo Yongjun
She continued, "This paralysis of the government system occurred because the issues identified after the Kakao fire incident in 2022 were not properly addressed," pointing out, "The responsibility lies largely with the Yoon Suk-yeol administration and the People Power Party, who did nothing for the past three years, not with the Lee Jaemyung administration, which has only just passed its 100th day in office." She further criticized, "It is irresponsible and disgraceful for them to start picking fights now after having done nothing until this point." Lee emphasized, "Unlike Yoon Suk-yeol, who did not even apologize after the 2022 incident, President Lee Jaemyung has sincerely apologized as the head of state," and stressed, "The opposition should stop political attacks and work together to solve the problem."
Meanwhile, not only President Lee Jaemyung but also Democratic Party leader Jeong Cheongrae apologized for the NIRS fire on the 29th. At the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly that day, Jeong stated, "I apologize to the public for the inconvenience caused by the fire," and urged, "The government must swiftly manage the situation, restore the government system to normal operation as soon as possible, and do everything possible to minimize public inconvenience."
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