Ahn Cheol-soo Meets Son of North Korea-Fired Public Official... "We Will Build a Nation That Protects Citizens' Lives"

"Why Does a Nation Exist... Doubts Over This Administration's Irresponsibility"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] Ahn Cheol-soo, leader of the People’s Party, stated on the 12th, “Do you remember the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries official who was brutally killed by North Korean soldiers off the west coast last September?” He added, “Yesterday, I met with his bereaved family, his wife and son.”

On Facebook that day, Ahn said, “The sorrow and shock of losing one’s parents before becoming an adult cannot be compared to anything else,” and “How desperate must the victim official’s high school senior son have been to write a letter directly to the president, pleading to clearly reveal the truth and protect his father’s honor?”

He pointed out, “The government was indifferent. The president’s promise to investigate the truth was not kept, and all information disclosure requests filed by the bereaved family against the Coast Guard, the Blue House, and the Ministry of National Defense were rejected. What is the purpose of the state? Witnessing the irresponsible behavior of this administration, I am overwhelmed by the same skepticism. North Korean soldiers shot our citizen and burned the body, and for several hours until that happened, our military knew but only watched. Is this really a country?”

He continued, “This administration has not uttered a single apology for their negligence to this day. Rather, they reversed the ‘defection’ frame, turning the pain and suffering of one family into gossip and using it to cover up the nation’s shame. The state instead tore the bereaved family’s hearts to shreds. Then they covered up the truth, waited for time to pass and for it to be forgotten, and indeed, within a few months, this incident completely disappeared from our memory,” he added.

Ahn said, “Even now, the state must mourn the victim’s death, apologize to the bereaved family, apologize for the incompetence that failed to save a citizen’s life, and apologize for trampling on their honor by labeling them as defectors. They must promise to hold those responsible accountable. And they must promise to do their best to prevent the same tragedy from happening again. This is obviously what must be done. That is the duty of the state.”

Ahn said, “I promised to create a state and politics that do their utmost to protect the lives and safety of the people,” and “No matter what happens, I will definitely, definitely keep this promise.”

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