Criticism Within the Ruling Party on the 'Democratic Meritorious Service Act'... Lee Won-wook Calls the Amendment "Hard to Accept"

The Democratic Party Proposes the 'Democratic Meritorious Service Act'... Support for Education, Employment, and Medical Care

Lee Won-wook, Member of the Democratic Party of Korea. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] On the 8th, Lee Won-wook, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, criticized the 'Democratic Merit Honor Act' proposed by fellow party members, saying, "Although I am also a lawmaker from the democratization movement, I find it difficult to accept the excessive support proposed in the amendment."

In a post on his Facebook on the same day, Lee said, "The public will see this as an attempt by the privileged class of the activist group to institutionalize unfair advantages and privileges under the guise of 'law'."

He continued, "The issue is not the number of beneficiaries or the extent of support," and pointed out, "The problem lies in the fact that the democratization movement forces used the power entrusted to them by the people to support themselves."

He said, "In the late 1990s, the term '386' was coined. It was an abbreviation for people in their 30s, activists from the 1980s, and those born in the 1960s," adding, "It was a valuable name for the generation that worked to write the history of democracy correctly."

Then, Lee emphasized, "Unfortunately, with the change of the name, the public questions whether they have lost their spirit of the times and original intentions and become vested interests," adding, "There is too much to be done to be trapped only in past values. We must ignite the spark of hope for the despairing youth."

He also pledged, "The completion of the spirit of the times, which continues with 'democracy,' 'a humane world,' and 'fairness,' is the future of the Republic of Korea," and said, "We will hold on to 'fairness' so that Korean society can embody the face of fairness."

He added, "I will judge current issues through the lens of 'fairness' and carry out legislative activities accordingly," and said, "If there are comrades willing to become a single ivy leaf alongside me on that path, we will go together."

Earlier, on the 23rd of last month, 20 lawmakers including Woo Won-shik of the Democratic Party proposed the 'Act on the Honor of Democratic Merits.'

The bill aims to provide appropriate honors and state-level support in areas such as education, employment, medical care, and nursing to those recognized for their contributions to democratization. It intends to extend benefits not only to the merits of the April 19 Revolution and the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement but also to citizens who have made similar contributions to democratization.

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