Joo Ho-young to Attend Roh Memorial Ceremony Following Gwangju... "A Symbol of National Unity"

Chairman Park Yong-man of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry is having a meeting with Joo Ho-young, floor leader of the United Future Party, at the National Assembly on the 19th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy reporters Lee Ji-eun and Kim Hye-min] Joo Ho-young, the new floor leader of the United Future Party, made his first public appearance by visiting Gwangju and paying respects at the May 18 Democratic Cemetery, and will also attend the memorial service for former President Roh Moo-hyun.

On the 20th, after attending a meeting of senior lawmakers of the United Future Party at the National Assembly, Floor Leader Joo told reporters, "I am attending in the spirit of national unity."

This is the first time in five years that a party leader-level figure has attended the memorial service for former President Roh since Kim Moo-sung, then leader of the Saenuri Party. He said, "I also attended the 8th anniversary memorial service, and there have been many cases where party leaders attended in the past."

Earlier, on the 18th, Floor Leader Joo visited Gwangju to attend the 40th anniversary ceremony of the May 18 Democratization Movement, where he sang the "March for the Beloved," and prior to his visit, he apologized for the offensive remarks about May 18 made by members within the party. This is closely related to the recent atmosphere within the party seeking reform and distancing itself from the 'far-right.'

When asked whether he would take the lead in revising the May 18 Special Act, he said, "The bill is already out, so we cannot take the lead," adding, "We will actively cooperate, but the person who introduced the bill should take the lead."

When asked about the possibility of the bill being passed within the year, he said, "It is not important to pass it within the year, but the content is important," adding, "We need to check whether it fits within the legal system; setting a deadline is not appropriate." He refrained from commenting on questions about the possibility of transitioning to a 'Kim Jong-in emergency committee.'

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