Jang Je-won: "Lee Nak-yeon, a Typical Politician with Only a Head and No Heart"

"Tears Seem Different Between Current and Former Positions"

On the 5th, Jang Je-won, a member of the United Future Party, mentioned in a post on his Facebook about a conversation Prime Minister Lee Nak-yeon had with the bereaved families of the Icheon logistics warehouse fire accident. Photo by Jang Je-won

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kang Joo-hee] Jang Je-won, a member of the Future United Party, criticized former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yeon on the 5th for his conversation with the bereaved families of the Icheon logistics warehouse fire accident, calling it "a typical example of politics with only a head and no heart."

On the 5th, Jang posted on his Facebook, referring to the conversation Lee had with the bereaved families that day, saying, "It sends chills down my spine that the former Prime Minister under the Moon Jae-in administration, a four-term National Assembly member, former Governor of Jeollanam-do, elected member of the 21st National Assembly, and the top preferred candidate for the next president, had such a conversation with families who lost loved ones and are crying out in grief."

He added, "Former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yeon said many very correct things in a very logical manner without a single wrong word," and criticized, "This is a typical example of politics with only a head and no heart. The essence of politics with reason but no tears."

Democratic Party of Korea's Lee Nak-yeon, Chair of the COVID-19 National Crisis Overcoming Committee, is moving to lay flowers at the joint memorial altar set up at the Icheon logistics warehouse construction site fire in Seohui Youth Culture Center, Icheon-si, Gyeonggi Province, on the afternoon of the 5th. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Finally, Jang said, "I remember the tears Lee Nak-yeon shed during the funeral of the five missing Sewol ferry victims while serving as the incumbent Prime Minister, the commemorative speech he read while holding back tears at the April 3rd victims memorial, and the tears he showed at the Gwangju Democratization Movement memorial," and pointed out, "Those tears must have been shed as the incumbent Prime Minister. Apparently, tears differ between incumbents and former officeholders."

On that day, Lee visited the joint memorial altar for the Icheon fire victims and met with about 30 bereaved family members. The families requested Lee, saying, "Workers' deaths continue. Bring us countermeasures," to which Lee reportedly replied, "I am not in office now, so I am not in a responsible position. I am neither a member of the National Assembly nor anything more than a regular mourner."

Angered, the bereaved families asked Lee, "Then why did you come?", "Are you joking?", and "What are you doing gathering people here?" Lee responded, "Do you think I came as a joke? I will convey your feelings. This is not a meeting I organized."

When some family members said, "Then please leave," Lee replied, "I will leave," and the meeting ended after about 10 minutes.

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