[Summary] "Defending Yoon Mi-hyang" United Party's All-Out Criticism of President Moon's Remarks

President Moon's First Comment on Justice Corps Controversy: "Comfort Women Movement Must Not Be Denied"
United Future Party: "President Moon's Remarks Lack Sincerity, Must Stop Defending Yoon Mee-hyang"

Yoon Mi-hyang, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, is leaving her office at the National Assembly Members' Office Building on the morning of the 8th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] As President Moon Jae-in expressed his position on the controversy surrounding the Justice Memory Solidarity on the 8th, the United Future Party launched all-out criticism, calling it a virtual defense of Representative Yoon Mi-hyang. There were also remarks suggesting that President Moon did not fully understand the issue, describing his response as 'irrelevant answers' and 'astonishment.'

Joo Ho-young, floor leader of the United Future Party, said at the party's floor strategy meeting on the 9th, "Yesterday's remarks by the President regarding the Yoon Mi-hyang case were very puzzling," adding, "The public is criticizing Representative Yoon, who has been filling her own interests under the banner of the comfort women movement and is even suspected of opaque accounting and personal enrichment, not criticizing the comfort women movement itself."

At the Blue House senior secretaries and aides meeting the day before (the 8th), President Moon emphasized, "The cause of the comfort women movement must be firmly upheld," and said, "Attempts by some to deny the comfort women movement itself and to damage the cause of the movement are wrong. (This) also destroys the dignity and honor of the victim grandmothers."

Joo Ho-young, floor leader of the United Future Party, is delivering a congratulatory speech at the special lecture commemorating the opening of the 21st National Assembly, held at the National Assembly Members' Office Building on the 9th. [Image source=Yonhap News]

In response, Floor Leader Joo said, "The President gave an irrelevant answer without properly addressing the request to investigate Representative Yoon and clarify whether there was embezzlement or personal enrichment," adding, "If this continues, the distance between the people and the President will grow, and the public will wonder, 'Why does the President have such a perception?'" He reiterated his criticism.

Spokesperson Kim Eun-hye also commented, "While I sympathize with the meaning of President Moon's remarks at today's senior secretaries and aides meeting, there is a mountain to overcome first," and pointed out, "The sincerity of President Moon's remarks can only be conveyed through stopping the defense of Yoon Mi-hyang and a thorough investigation by the prosecution without any guidelines."

She added, "Summoning Justice Memory Solidarity, which has been regarded as a sanctuary, and Representative Yoon, who stood at its center, before justice is the way to restore the morality and legitimacy of the comfort women movement."

Gwak Sang-do, chairman of the Unified Party's Task Force for the Truth Investigation on Comfort Women Victims, is speaking at the first TF meeting held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 25th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

United Future Party lawmaker Kwak Sang-do criticized, "I suspect the intention might be to deliberately hide the truth by deviating from the essence."

In a post on his Facebook on the same day, Representative Kwak said, "President Moon Jae-in's remarks today (regarding Justice Memory Solidarity) are astonishing in terms of how he understands the situation."

He pointed out, "The Justice Memory Solidarity case is not, as the President said, an attempt to deny the comfort women movement itself or to damage the cause of the movement," and added, "It is certainly not a challenge to the legitimacy of the comfort women movement, which was dedicated to exposing inhumane war crimes and advocating for women's human rights."

Regarding Representative Yoon Mi-hyang of the Democratic Party of Korea, he claimed, "What the public is angry about is the punishment of Yoon Mi-hyang, who used the comfort women victim grandmothers as a means to make money, and the dismantling of Justice Memory Solidarity and the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance for the Issues of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan."

He emphasized, "They want measures to listen to the hardships and voices of the comfort women grandmothers and to embrace and help their difficult lives."

He further criticized, "The President's neglect, rather than leading the way to reveal the truth, is exactly what destroys the dignity and honor of the victim grandmothers, as the President said," and asked, "If you touch my side, are all the comfort women victims just bystanders?"

He continued, "How long will President Moon Jae-in remain a 'one-eyed' President who only looks after and cares for 'his side'?" and urged, "I hope he will quickly reveal the truth of the Yoon Mi-hyang and Justice Memory Solidarity cases and respond to the cries of the victim grandmothers to wipe away their tears."

President Moon Jae-in is presiding over the senior secretaries and aides meeting at the Blue House on the 8th. [Image source=Yonhap News]

On the same day at 2 p.m., President Moon chaired a senior secretaries meeting at the Blue House Yeomin-gwan and issued his first statement regarding the Justice Memory Solidarity incident.

At the meeting, President Moon said, "The 30-year history of the comfort women movement has been a step toward protecting human dignity and advancing women's human rights and peace," adding, "The comfort women movement began with the historic testimony of Grandmother Kim Hak-soon. The victims broke the wall of silence, declaring 'I am living proof,' and informed the public of the horrors of the suffering in the streets, courts, and both domestic and international communities, appealing for a just resolution."

President Moon also said, "As a result of 30 years of persistent solidarity and cooperation among victims, activists, and citizens, the comfort women movement has established itself as a global human rights movement. It is a history that can never be denied or belittled," and regarding the current Justice Memory Solidarity incident, he emphasized, "Attempts by some to deny the comfort women movement itself and to damage the cause of the movement are wrong. (That) destroys even the dignity and honor of the victim grandmothers."

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