Democrats, "This grandmother's press conference is regrettable and apologetic... Will decide position after observing investigation"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Wondara] The Democratic Party reaffirmed its previous stance regarding the second press conference held by Grandmother Lee Yong-soo, stating, "We will decide our position on Yoon Mi-hyang, the Democratic Party elected representative, after observing the prosecution's investigation."

Kang Hoon-sik, the Democratic Party's chief spokesperson, said during a briefing on current issues held in Daegu at 2:40 PM on the 25th, right after Grandmother Lee's second press conference, "It is deeply regrettable and humbling that Grandmother Lee Yong-soo, who has been involved in the comfort women movement for 30 years, raised these issues by holding a press conference."

However, he added, "Since the prosecution's investigation into Representative Yoon is ongoing, we will observe the results and decide our future stance accordingly," and stated, "The Justice and Memory Foundation must actively resolve the issues raised by Grandmother Lee."

He emphasized, "The cause and history of the comfort women human rights movement must not be damaged by this controversy."

When asked if Democratic Party leader Lee Hae-chan had made any statements, Kang responded, "There was discussion at a closed supreme council meeting, but it was not significantly different from the existing position."

He further said, "Since Grandmother Lee has come forward with difficulty, I believe Representative Yoon will soon make a statement," adding, "We intend to calmly and rationally observe the investigation results."

Meanwhile, at the press conference, Grandmother Lee said, "That person (Representative Yoon) still thinks she is innocent. If you have committed a crime, you must be punished."

She continued, "Representative Yoon kept it a secret from me whether money had come," and said, "If I had known when the 1 billion yen arrived, I would have returned it." She also criticized, "After 30 years, she betrayed us without loyalty overnight. I was so furious about being betrayed," and added, "Whether she is a member of the National Assembly or not, she is just going to satisfy her own selfish desires."

Regarding the meeting with Representative Yoon on the 19th, Grandmother Lee said, "(Representative Yoon) came in, knelt down, and begged for forgiveness," and clarified that she did not forgive her by saying, "What should I bring to forgive? We have known each other for over 30 years, and when she asked me to hug her once, I thought this was the last time and hugged her."

However, when asked whether Representative Yoon should resign, Grandmother Lee said, "I don't think it's my place to say. She is someone who does as she pleases," and added, "Since she acted on her own will, whether she resigns or not is not something I will comment on."

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