"Do You Know What the Sewol Ferry Means to the People?" Kim Eui-sung Criticizes Cha Myung-jin's 'Sewol Ferry Insult' Remarks

"The Sewol Ferry Disaster Reflects the Desire for a Nation That Protects Its People"

Actor Kim Eui-sung shared a photo of his early voting for the 21st National Assembly election on the 10th. / Photo by Kim Eui-sung Instagram capture

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Lim Juhyung] Actor Kim Euisung strongly criticized Cha Myungjin, a candidate from the United Future Party, who sparked controversy with his so-called 'Sewol Ferry tent' remarks.

On the 13th, Kim Euisung posted on his Facebook, "Cha Myungjin, what did you say? That the Sewol Ferry is being idolized?" and began his post with, "Do you know what the Sewol Ferry means to the parents of the children and to our people? You wouldn't possibly know."

He continued, "The Sewol Ferry was the incident that made us realize, as if struck by a hammer, that 'the state does not care about the lives of its people,'" and explained, "It was the Sewol Ferry that made us yearn for a trustworthy government and a nation that protects its citizens."

He added, "The truth about the Sewol Ferry has still not been revealed due to various political obstructions," and lamented, "The Sewol Ferry is not something you can tear apart, ridicule, or belittle. It is something to be uncovered, comforted, caught, punished, and vowed never to happen again."

Candidate Cha Myung-jin of the United Future Party, running for the 21st general election in Bucheon B, Gyeonggi Province, appealed for support from citizens on the afternoon of the 10th while riding a campaign vehicle around Sosa District, Bucheon City, Gyeonggi Province. / Photo by Yonhap News

Earlier, on the 8th, during an OBS general election candidate invitation debate, candidate Cha claimed, "I know of an article from May 2018 stating that Sewol Ferry volunteers and bereaved families engaged in immoral acts inside a tent," which sparked public outrage. Subsequently, on the morning of the 10th, the United Future Party's Central Ethics Committee issued a 'recommendation to resign' against candidate Cha.

However, candidate Cha did not resign and on the 11th posted a photo on Facebook showing two banners of Kim Sanghee, a candidate from the Democratic Party of Korea, hung above and below his own banner, with the caption, "What kind of situation is this where ○○○ calls it abusive language but is the first to start ○○○? Ah! I really hate ○○○," which further fueled controversy. The post has since been deleted.

In response, candidate Kim stated, "Screenshots of candidate Cha's Facebook post are circulating online," and criticized, "He shamelessly utters unmentionable slanders while pointing at the banner I put up. This goes beyond defamation against a rival candidate and constitutes sexual harassment."

As the controversy escalated, the United Future Party decided to expel candidate Cha. On the morning of the 13th, Park Hyungjoon, co-chairman of the United Future Party's joint election countermeasures committee, said at a press conference held at the National Assembly, "We have decided to promptly proceed with the expulsion of candidate Cha," and added, "I strongly want to reprimand him for how he continues to cause trouble now, regarding his inappropriate remarks and his subsequent actions, and how he plans to take responsibility afterward."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.