Granddaughter of Yun Bong-gil says "Choo's son compared to An Jung-geun is appalling"… Ruling party floor spokesperson apologizes

Yoon Jukyung, People Power Party Lawmaker, "Heartbroken by Casual Mention of Ahn Junggeun's Name"
Park Seongjun, Democratic Party Floor Spokesperson, "Regret Causing Controversy"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Se-hee] Yoon Joo-kyung, a member of the People Power Party and great-granddaughter of independence activist Yoon Bong-gil, said on the 16th that it is "extremely distressing" that Park Sung-jun, the floor spokesperson of the Democratic Party of Korea, compared the son of Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae, Seo Mo, to independence activist Ahn Jung-geun.

At the National Defense Committee hearing on the nomination of Seo Wook as Minister of National Defense, Rep. Yoon sharply criticized, saying, "To be called a soldier devoted to the country, one must serve in the military with a humble attitude and do their best to avoid being accused of unfairness."

Rep. Yoon continued, "It pains me deeply that Ahn Jung-geun’s name is being mentioned lightly, so with a heavy heart, I will proceed with the questioning I had hoped to avoid," and began questioning related to Seo with a trembling voice.

She pointed out, "Minister Choo’s son was not legally exempt from military service, yet ruling party lawmakers keep glorifying him by saying he could have avoided the military but chose to serve," and asked, "Isn’t this a disruption of military discipline?"

When Rep. Yoon asked, "They say Minister Choo’s son performed the very sacred duty of a soldier devoted to the country. What is the nominee’s opinion?" Candidate Seo, looking uncomfortable, only replied, "I think he went because he could."

Rep. Yoon also asked, "If the son of a bean sprout vendor who sets up a stall in my neighborhood were in this situation, would so many members of the National Assembly have risen like a swarm of bees to protect him like this?"

She said, "This is exactly the scene of favoritism," and added, "Seeing the recent situation over the past few days, I felt so distressed that I wondered if those who fought for independence would have devoted themselves to the country to see such a scene today," and asked, "How dare anyone compare Minister Choo’s son to Ahn Jung-geun?"

Regarding Rep. Yoon’s question about the Democratic Party’s claim that Minister Choo’s son practiced Ahn Jung-geun’s 'devotion to the country as a soldier,' Candidate Seo avoided answering, saying, "It seems a bit difficult for me to express my opinion on this."

Meanwhile, Spokesperson Park apologized after causing controversy by making the comparison to Ahn Jung-geun. In a text message sent to reporters that day, Park said, "I deeply regret causing controversy due to an inappropriate citation in my commentary," and added, "I will be more cautious in my future commentaries."

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